In the early hours of a Monday morning, a small app built out of conviction quietly soared to the top of the App Store. The cause wasn’t a celebrity endorsement or viral dance challenge—it was frustration. People responded to UpScrolled, a recent addition to the social media scene, by downloading it in large quantities.
Created by Issam Hijazi, a Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian engineer driven by personal loss and political urgency, the app came to life after he noticed that content supporting Palestinian voices was being muted or erased. His reaction was a product rather than a protest. One that offered something surprisingly rare: an honest feed.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | June 2025 |
| Creator | Issam Hijazi (Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian developer) |
| Core Features | Chronological feed, no algorithm, no shadowbans |
| Content Types | Text, images, and videos |
| User Growth | Over 700,000 downloads by January 2026 |
| Unique Appeal | Censorship-free alternative to TikTok and Instagram |
| App Store Status | Ranked No. 1 in social category in US, UK, and Australia (Jan 2026) |
| Primary Backing | Supported by Tech for Palestine incubator |
| Official Website | https://upscrolled.com |
UpScrolled runs on a principle that has become strikingly uncommon—transparency. Its chronological layout isn’t just nostalgic; it’s an act of resistance. In an age dominated by engineered attention loops, Hijazi chose clarity over control. Content appears when it’s posted. Engagement happens organically. It feels exceptionally clear.
UpScrolled is refreshingly straightforward, in contrast to the cacophonous feeds that frequently feel like slot machines rigged for anxiety. There are no predictive algorithms, no mysterious visibility scores, and absolutely no shadowbanning. Only content, arranged chronologically, without any manipulation.
The interface is purposefully recognizable. Instead of relying on machine prediction, a Discover tab helps content rise through community interaction. Trending videos mix politics with poetry, activism with art. You’re watching a spoken-word show from Detroit one minute and the Gaza skyline at sunset the next. It’s messy, intimate, and human, and it works incredibly well to restore that long-lost sense of digital independence.
UpScrolled has emerged in recent weeks as a silent lifeboat for creators escaping platforms they believed were no longer beneficial to them. Users noticed that their videos were throttled or removed after TikTok’s partial U.S. acquisition, which reportedly involved Oracle and Larry Ellison. This was particularly noticeable when covering civil protests, immigration raids, or Gaza. By contrast, UpScrolled promised visibility without interference—and delivered.
The app’s downloads increased by almost 3,000% during that same week, making it the top social app in the US, UK, and Australia. There was no marketing budget for it. It had trust.
Hijazi capitalized on a wider discontent with the evolution of digital spaces by expanding on transparency and ethical design. People are no longer just looking for convenience. They’re craving control—particularly over their own voices. UpScrolled meets that craving with a design that is both minimal and notably improved by avoiding distractions.
There isn’t any recommendation engine ready to capture your interest, autoplay, or infinite scroll. Unless you specifically request it, videos don’t loop continuously. Notifications are sparse and intentional. The platform, in its simplicity, is incredibly versatile—capable of hosting political debates and latte art videos side by side without forcing either to compete for algorithmic dominance.
Through strategic partnerships—particularly with organizations like Tech for Palestine—UpScrolled has gained both credibility and funding without compromising its mission. Unlike many emerging platforms, it remains independent and community-driven, with no venture capital strings attached. That’s helped it remain agile and highly efficient, especially as it scales.
The team is small but deeply committed. The platform has been criticized, particularly for antisemitic content, but it has responded quickly and publicly. Moderation is human-led. Issam has humbled himself by hiring more reviewers and releasing open updates regarding the moderation policy. For once, accountability is ingrained rather than a public relations tactic.
I had conversations with three users who felt abandoned by other platforms and switched to UpScrolled. A Texas-based musician described it as “the first app where I feel like my posts actually go to the people who follow me.” A London nurse said, “I don’t scroll endlessly here. I connect, I post, and then I close it. One college student told me, “It doesn’t reward addiction, and I respect that.”
That change has special advantages for creators. Instead of chasing trends or praying for algorithmic luck, they can post with confidence that what they share will be seen—if not by millions, then at least by those who chose to follow them in the first place. That’s a trust loop worth preserving.
UpScrolled’s purposeful divergence feels both brave and essential as digital ecosystems grow more homogeneous. It offers a proof-of-concept that people will migrate toward integrity, even if it means sacrificing reach for respect.
Scaling will not be easy, of course. The platform must uphold its core principles without sacrificing functionality or accessibility as downloads and demand increase. It must continue to be incredibly resilient while avoiding bloat. However, it is demonstrating that scale doesn’t always have to come at the expense of soul with every open update and community-driven choice.
UpScrolled has evolved from a transient haven to a particularly inventive social space with unexpectedly sustainable momentum by focusing on values rather than virality.
For the time being, it provides a unique and valuable resource: a digital space that listens more than it commands.
And for millions seeking that, UpScrolled arrived just in time.
