UpScrolled, an emerging social media app positioned as a TikTok alternative, experienced a significant spike in downloads in the US following TikTok’s announcement of a major restructuring deal for its American operations.
Appfigures data shows UpScrolled climbed into the top 10 free apps on Apple’s App Store in the US shortly after TikTok revealed on January 22, 2026, that it had finalized a joint venture to form TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. The deal transfers control of US user data, apps, and algorithms to a majority-American-owned entity involving investors like Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, with ByteDance retaining minority ownership. This structure was designed to address national security concerns and avert a potential US ban.
The surge in UpScrolled downloads began Thursday, January 23, with the app seeing 41,000 downloads between then and Saturday, compared to an average of about 14,000 per day prior. By January 26, it ranked as high as No. 9 in free apps on the App Store, according to multiple reports. Users have flocked to the platform, which supports short-form videos, video editing, text posts, and other features similar to TikTok.
UpScrolled, developed in Australia and founded by a Palestinian technologist, has been marketed as a user-focused alternative emphasizing privacy and creator tools. The app has garnered thousands of five-star reviews and is backed by claims of being the “alternative to Meta, TikTok, and X” users have been waiting for.
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The timing aligns with user migration concerns following the TikTok deal, which some critics fear could lead to content moderation changes or data handling shifts under new ownership. Similar spikes have been reported for other alternatives like Skylight, which reached over 380,000 sign-ups.
TikTok has not commented directly on user exodus, but the restructuring has been approved by the White House and is intended to secure the app’s long-term future in the US. UpScrolled’s growth reflects broader trends in the creator economy, where users seek platforms with fewer restrictions or different governance models amid regulatory pressures on major apps.
The app is available on iOS and Android, with ongoing updates to features like social commerce and AI personalization. No official comment from UpScrolled on the surge was available at press time.
