TikTok’s newly formed US business got off to a rough start. As the app continues to grapple with technical issues affecting its recommendation algorithm, view statistics and other features, TikTok is seeing a wave of frustrated users pull it out, according to new data.
Analytics company Sensor Tower, which tracks downloads and other metrics related to the app store, told CNBC that there was a 150 percent increase in TikTok app downloads in the United States compared to three months ago. A Sensor Tower analyst told Engadget that TikTok’s US daily users (DAUs) increased by about 2 percent over the same period, and are down week-over-week. TikTok blamed a power outage at a data center for causing the problems, but did not say when users could expect a fix or explain how the power outage could be responsible for nuking users’ video views or drastically changing its recommendation algorithm.
At the same time, an independent app called UpScrolled has seen a surge in interest over the past few days. The app is currently the ninth most downloaded app in the US App Store and the second most popular social app (Meta’s Threads is currently the number one social media app). The app has reached the top five in the UK and Australian app stores. In the United States, its sudden popularity seems to have a lot to do with recent changes at TikTok.
UpScrolled saw a total of 41,000 downloads between Thursday (the day the US joint venture was made official) and Saturday, according to estimates from App Figures. The app, which was first released last June, has been downloaded about 140,000 times between the Apple and Google stores, according to App Figures. Before last Thursday, the app was averaging less than 500 downloads per day, according to the company. The rapid increase in downloads apparently caused some problems for the company, which asked users to “bear with us” on Monday.
Created by an Australian developer, UpScrolled looks a lot like Instagram. Users can share photos and short videos. The app automatically defaults to the “next” feed in chronological order, though it also recommends content to users. The app is “privately funded by its founder, Issam Hijazi, and a small group of individual investors who share our mission and values,” according to the FAQ on the UpScrolled website. It currently has no ads, although the company says it “probably” will in the future.
It’s not the first time that turmoil at TikTok has benefited from a previously unknown app. Chinese app RedNote briefly became the top app in the United States early last year as TikTok faced a possible ban. RedNote’s popularity proved to be short-lived, however, as the 2025 TikTok “block” ended up lasting only a few hours.
But with new owners at TikTok and growing frustration with technical issues with the app, there could be an opportunity for a short video service that isn’t controlled by a big company. And that’s what UpScroll seems to be betting on. “Too often, users are left unsure whether their voices will be heard or silenced,” the company wrote on its website. “UpScrolled changes by ensuring that all posts have a fair chance to be seen, creating an authentic, unfiltered, and equal environment for all.”
