UpScrolled, a simple software, has emerged in recent weeks as a potent representation of what social media networks could be if they ceased attempting to control attention. Thanks to timing, quiet disobedience, and trust, it rose to the top of the app store rankings very quickly without the need of marketing blitzes or celebrity launch parties.
Launched in mid-2025, UpScrolled was created by Issam Hijazi—a Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian technologist who left Silicon Valley after observing social networks systematically eliminate perspectives like his. Hijazi was deeply impacted by the current situation in Gaza and didn’t simply want to create another software. Building a place where nothing would be erased in silence was his goal.
Unlike most platforms, UpScrolled doesn’t use algorithmic feeds or behavioral scoring. Who sees what is determined by no secret rationale. Posts are arranged chronologically. What you follow is what you receive. That may seem straightforward—possibly even out of date—but this design is incredibly successful in fostering transparency in a time when AI-curated timelines predominate.
In January 2026, the platform’s popularity surged. Following TikTok’s permanent removal of accounts associated with pro-Palestine movement, including reputable voices such as journalist Bisan Owda, users started looking for safer online spaces. UpScrolled became that destination. It only provided visibility without any intervention; it made no demands for allegiance.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | UpScrolled |
| Founder | Issam Hijazi (Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian developer) |
| Launch Date | June 2025 |
| Key Features | Photo, video, and text posts; chronological feed; minimal data tracking |
| Notable Users | Chris Smalls, Jacob Berger |
| Political Significance | Popular among pro-Palestine users post-TikTok censorship concerns |
| App Ranking | #1 in US App Store (January 2026) |
| Reference | Al Jazeera |
By using public momentum rather than manufactured virality, the site garnered over 400,000 U.S. users in a single week. Global downloads surpassed 700,000. These installs weren’t motivated by ads or bots. They were planned migrations by people seeking to recover their timelines.
The development concept of Hijazi is really different. His preference for user choice over stickiness means that he rejects the prevalent growth model that is driven by addiction loops. “I know how easy it is to build those mechanisms,” he wrote recently. “I chose not to.” One of UpScrolled’s most valued qualities is its composure, which is uncommon in the tech industry.
During heavy traffic in late January, the app experienced short outages. Rather than issuing a corporate statement, Hijazi wrote a personal response in which he thanked users for their patience and openly described the technical difficulties. Trust was only increased by such remarkably open reaction. People loved hearing directly from a creator who didn’t hide behind PR.
UpScrolled’s community is rapidly diversifying. Chris Smalls and other labor leaders joined early. Jacob Berger and other content developers did the same. But its core isn’t influencers—it’s students, independent journalists, activists, and average people giving unedited updates. From London to Amman, from Rafah to Brooklyn, the stream reads like a real-time journal of online protest.
By evading interaction traps, the app has been remarkably sustainable. No pressure exists to optimize material for algorithms, nor is there a rush to monetize. Users stick around because they don’t feel taken advantage of. As a result, the digital environment is remarkably serene but intensely active, akin to a town square free of branded billboards.
Technically, the platform is still evolving. However, in terms of culture, it has already carved out something unique: a place where mourning isn’t shadowbanned, where political urgency isn’t overshadowed by dancing trends, and where marginalized voices finally feel heard. That seems especially novel to many—and long overdue.
UpScrolled’s basic concept provides an option that feels both necessary and invigorating in light of mounting concerns about censorship and surveillance. There are no filters hiding harsh truths. No terms vaguely rewritten overnight. It was just folks posting, just like before.
It’s hard to say whether it becomes a long-term rival or fades after its moment. But in a digital society increasingly driven by predictive algorithms and user profiling, UpScrolled shows us what may still happen when trust—not traffic—is the metric that matters.
By establishing a zone where individuals don’t feel monitored or managed, UpScrolled has done more than design an app. Users now have the dignity of being heard without hindrance and control over what they see, something they haven’t had for years.
Remarkably, that might be sufficient to construct the future in a different way.
