What Is “swipe Up” and Why Do People Switch to It From TikTok?
2026 has been a challenging year for TikTok . The app recently changed hands: from Chinese company ByteDance to the new “TikTok USDS Joint Venture,” which, as its name suggests, is predominantly American-owned. Any ownership change carries the risk of disruptions and problems, but it appears TikTok’s problems went beyond the usual challenging transition period . First, the app itself crashed, which the company attributed to a power outage at its data center. Then, users accused the platform of updating its terms of service to include aggressive tracking methods, blocking certain types of content, and “shadow-banning” new posts from some users.
It’s not yet entirely clear what exactly is going on, but users aren’t expecting an explanation. In fact, many have already made up their minds and believe the app is actively suppressing content, neutralizing algorithms, and invading privacy in ways it didn’t under ByteDance. While there are other popular social networks, many have apparently switched to a relatively new one: UpScrolled. At the time of writing, it’s the second most popular free app in the iOS App Store, which reminds me of how X users switched to Bluesky .
What is UpScrolled?
UpScrolled, founded by Issam Hijazi, is a social media platform launched in June of this year. According to its About page , UpScrolled’s mission is to enable all users to share their views without the risk of bias, shadowbanning, or “unfair” algorithms. The company claims it doesn’t promote its own interests and ensures that “every post has an equal chance of being seen.” If you believe TikTok’s algorithm is now biased against your views, I understand why this proposition might seem tempting.
The company states that it only restricts content that violates its rules. This includes illegal activity, hate speech, bullying and harassment, explicit nudity, unlicensed copyrighted content, or anything “intended to cause harm.” UpScrolled will also never ban you without your knowledge. If the platform deletes your videos or your account, it will notify you of the reason.
One of the main differences between UpScrolled and other social networks is its algorithm. The app divides the feed into two parts: the “Following” feed, which displays posts in chronological order. The first posts are the newest from your followers, and you scroll through previous posts. If you want to discover new posts from accounts you don’t follow, you can use the “Explore” feed. But unlike TikTok or Instagram, the “Explore” feed doesn’t use any aggressive personalized algorithm. Instead, it’s based on likes, comments, and shares. Popular posts from across the platform are displayed to you.
What I particularly like is UpScrolled’s approach to data collection, as they do virtually nothing. The company states that they do not sell user data to third parties for marketing, tracking, or profit. They only share user data when required by law. This is in stark contrast to many social networks, which seem to collect as much of your data as possible.
Using UpScrolled
I haven’t spent much time in the app yet, though I did create an account this morning to see what it’s all about. I don’t recognize any of the users the app suggests I follow, which means I’ll probably have to search by content type if I want to find accounts to follow.
The “Discover” feed is a mix of different types of content, but primarily features material focused on the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In fact, many users choose this platform as a destination for pro-Palestinian content in response to accusations of censorship of such posts on popular social networks. However, the app promotes a wide variety of content to subscribe to, including sports, news, games, movies, music, technology, and travel.
As expected, some of the posts here are simply copied from TikTok, a common practice on social media platforms that aren’t actually TikTok. Despite the current controversy, it’s clear which platform still has the largest share of users at the moment, by a wide margin.
But it’s not just short videos. The app also features a lot of static images, more reminiscent of Instagram than TikTok. However, former TikTok users don’t seem to care that it’s not an exact replica of the TikTok formula, and they’re more interested in conveying a message to the app they once relied on.
I’m not sure my brief introduction to UpScrolled will resonate with me today, but it’s an interesting approach to social media. We’ll see if the growth continues or if this is just a temporary blip before people return to TikTok.