UpScrolled, a social networking app promising a politics-free platform, is gaining attention after TikTok’s ownership change in the United States last week. The app currently ranks 12th overall in Apple’s App Store and second in the social networking category. Users are drawn to UpScrolled for its familiar mix of Instagram and X-style features, allowing them to share photos, videos, and text posts, discover new content, and send direct messages.
Founded last year by Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian technologist Issam Hijazi, UpScrolled positions itself as a platform owned by its users rather than algorithms or external interests. Hijazi said the app aims to give creators, communities, and businesses real control, transparency, and accountability. The company has described the platform as a reimagining of social media that shifts power away from large corporations.
UpScrolled has seen a sudden spike in downloads following TikTok’s deal to become majority American-owned, with about 41,000 downloads recorded between Thursday and Saturday, according to Appfigures. This accounted for nearly one-third of the app’s total installs. Since the deal, UpScrolled has averaged around 14,000 downloads per day, representing a 2,850 percent increase. The app has now been downloaded about 140,000 times in total, with 75,000 installs coming from the United States.
The surge in interest comes as some TikTok users express concern over the new U.S. ownership structure and updated privacy policies that allow more tracking, including GPS data. These changes, along with reports of potential censorship and reduced visibility of certain political content, have prompted users to seek alternatives. UpScrolled is not alone in benefiting from the shift, as other platforms like Skylight are also reporting major growth in user sign-ups.