UpScrolled, a new social media platform, has surged to the top of the United States app download charts as users seek alternatives following the formal takeover of TikTok by US-backed investors and companies.
By Wednesday, the application ranked number one in the “social networking” category of Apple’s App Store free apps, surpassing platforms such as Threads, WhatsApp, and TikTok.
Founded in July 2025 by Issam Hijazi, a Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian developer and former Oracle and IBM employee, UpScrolled has marketed itself as a “transparent tech” alternative. The app’s popularity has also increased significantly in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
The sudden shift in user preference follows the acquisition of a stake in TikTok’s US-based entity by Larry Ellison, the owner of Oracle. Ellison is noted as a staunch supporter of Israel, raising concerns among users regarding the potential censorship of pro-Palestine content. While ByteDance continues to run TikTok’s global operations, the US deal has triggered widespread backlash.
Concerns were further ignited when TikTok permanently banned Emmy Award-winning journalist and Al Jazeera contributor Bisan Owda on Wednesday.
Supporters of Owda, who has reported extensively from Gaza, have called for a boycott of the app,. Additionally, TikTok has faced accusations of suppressing content critical of United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) following a deadly crackdown that resulted in the deaths of emergency nurse Alex Pretti and civilian Renee Good. California Governor Gavin Newsom also announced an investigation into TikTok after users reported being flagged for content regarding Jeffrey Epstein.
Features and philosophy UpScrolled offers a combination of photos, short-form video, and text posts, with an interface similar to X (formerly Twitter).
Unlike its competitors, the app utilises a strictly chronological feed and avoids algorithms designed to keep users scrolling for extended periods.
Hijazi stated that the app prioritises mental health and user control, claiming it belongs to the people rather than “hidden algorithms or outside agendas”. The platform is backed by Tech for Palestine, an advocacy project funding pro-Palestine tech initiatives.
Hijazi explained that he left his career in Big Tech to build the platform after losing family members in Gaza, stating he did not want to be “complicit” in content censorship.
Growth and technical challenges According to marketing intelligence firm Sensor Tower, UpScrolled has reached approximately 700,000 global downloads, with 400,000 of those in the US. The rapid influx of users caused the platform’s servers to crash over the weekend, though Hijazi confirmed on Thursday that capacity has been increased and technical bugs have been resolved.
Prominent figures have already joined the platform, including American labour activist Chris Smalls and Jewish-American actor Jacob Berger, both of whom were involved in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in July 2025.
While UpScrolled leads the current surge, other alternatives like the US vertical video app Skylight and the X rival Bluesky are also gaining prominence as users distance themselves from traditional Big Tech platforms.
