TikTok's newly formed US entity is off to a very bumpy start. As the app continues to face technical issues affecting the recommendation algorithm, view counts and other features, TikTok is also seeing a wave of frustrated users uninstalling it, according to new data.

Analytics firm Sensor Tower, which tracks downloads and other app store-related metrics, told CNBC that there has been a 150 percent rise in uninstalls of the TikTok app in the United States compared with the last three months. An analyst at Sensor Tower told Engadget that TikTok's US daily active users (DAUs) have increased about 2 percent in the same time period, and are flat week-over-week. TikTok has blamed a power outage at a data center for “multiple bugs,” including those affecting view counts and load times. The company hasn't said when users can expect a fix.

At the same time, an independent app called UpScrolled has seen a surge in interest over the last 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 in the number one spot for social apps). The app has also reached the top five in the UK and Australian app stores. In the United States, its sudden popularity seems to be closely tied to recent changes at TikTok. 

UpScrolled has seen 41,000 total downloads between Thursday (the day the US joint venture was formalized) and Saturday, according to estimates from App Figures. The app, which was first released last June, has been downloaded about 140,000 times between Apple and Google's app stores, according to App Figures. Prior to last Thursday, the app was averaging less than 500 downloads a day, according to the company. The rapid increase in downloads has apparently caused some issues for the company which asked users to "bear with us" on Monday.

Created by an Australian developer, UpScrolled looks a bit like Instagram. Users can share photos and shortform videos. The app defaults to a chronological "following" feed, though it does also recommend content to users. The app is "privately funded by its founder, Issam Hijazi, together with a small group of individual investors who share our mission and values," according to an FAQ on UpScrolled's website. It currently has no ads, though the company says it "probably" will in the future. 

This isn't the first time turmoil at TikTok has benefitted a previously little-known app. Chinese app RedNote briefly became the top app in the United States early last year as TikTok faced a potential ban. RedNote's popularity proved to be short-lived, though, as the 2025 TikTok "ban" ended up lasting only a couple of hours. 

But with new owners at TikTok and growing frustration over technical issues with the app, there could be an opportunity for a new shortform video service that's not controlled by a huge corporation. And that's what UpScrolled seems to be betting on. "Too often, users are left uncertain about whether their voices will be heard or quietly suppressed," the company writes on its website. "UpScrolled changes that by ensuring every post has a fair chance to be seen, creating an environment that is authentic, unfiltered, and equitable for all."

Update, January 26, 2026, 4:28PM PT: This post was updated to reflect the latest details from TikTok about the ongoing issues affecting the US version of the app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/people-are-uninstalling-tiktok-and-downloading-an-indie-competitor-233345222.html?src=rss

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More ads are coming to App Store search results starting in March, Apple shared on an advertising help page. The company first said that it would increase the number of App Store ads last month, and this new rollout of search ads will begin on Tuesday, March 3, according to a developer email viewed by MacRumors.

"Search is the way most people find and download apps on the App Store, with nearly 65 percent of downloads happening directly after a search," Apple says. "To help give advertisers more opportunities to drive downloads from search results, Apple Ads will introduce additional ads across search queries." Up until this point, ads for related apps have appeared at the top of search results, but now they'll also appear "further down in search results," according to Apple.

App Store activity makes up a significant portion of what Apple calls its "services" business. The company makes money on every App Store transaction, whether it's an app download or an in-app purchase, and increasingly, by selling ad space to companies looking to reach users. App Store ads are hardly new, but the number of ads has steadily increased over the years. Apple added ads to the Today tab in 2022 — a space that's already home to editorial curation that doubles as marketing — and in 2025, Bloomberg reported the company planned to bring ads to Apple Maps.

Apple's decision to rebrand its advertising business from Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in April 2025 was maybe the best indication that the company was interested in expanding the number of places it would help partners try and reach customers. And it makes sense: the company's billions of devices, each pre-installed with default apps, are some of the most valuable real estate it owns.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-will-begin-showing-more-app-store-ads-starting-in-march-192031226.html?src=rss

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It was only 16 months ago that Substack expanded into live video. Since then, it's become a widely adopted medium on the platform, including by its ever-growing list of cable news expats. Now, the company has decided it's ready for a bigger screen. Starting today, you can install a new Substack TV app on Apple TV and Google TV devices.

Substack describes the app's initial launch as focusing on "reliable, high-quality viewing" for the platform's long-form videos. It centers around video posts and livestreams from the creators and publications you follow. There's also a "For You" section that combines those videos with algorithmic recommendations. And you can browse dedicated pages for each channel.

Viewing access aligns with your subscription level. So, if a channel restricts videos to paying subscribers on Substack’s mobile app and website, the same paywall applies here. However, the company says it's working on adding previews of paid content for free subscribers. It also plans to add audio posts, search, improved discovery and separate sections for different shows within a single publication.

At least one of those legacy media expats who moved to Substack is optimistic about the feature. "This is a game-changing moment for the rise of independent media," former CNN anchor Jim Acosta wrote in the announcement post. "Substack has proven that legacy media consumers are not only searching for fresh alternatives; they are finding them."

Based on the comments in Substack’s announcement, some of the platform’s die-hards are less enthusiastic than Acosta. “File this under – thing we didn’t ask for,” Ashli Pollard wrote. “This is not YouTube,” a commenter named Dustin added. “Elevate the written word.” I personally don’t see any harm in another way to watch the videos Substack already hosts. (Its newsletters aren’t going anywhere.) But given how Big Tech companies tend to pivot further toward the most en vogue (and profitable) medium of the day, I can see why purists feel the need to dig in their heels.

Regardless, you can find the Substack TV app by searching for its name in the tvOS App Store or the Apps section on Google and Android TV devices. You can sign in by scanning a QR code with your phone.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/substack-now-has-a-tv-app-195408592.html?src=rss

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Snapchat is updating its parental control features to give parents more detailed information about who their kids are connecting with in the app and which features they use the most. The app's Family Center already gives parents visibility into their child's friend list, but it will now surface contextual details when a new friend is added.

For example, the feature could highlight that the two share mutual friends or have each other's contact info saved in their phones. It could also indicate that they are classmates if both users have joined the same in-app “community.” If the two have no commonalities, then that could be a sign for a parent to "start a productive conversation," Snap says. 

The company has long been criticized for making it too easy for teenagers to talk to strangers. The issue has come up in safety-related lawsuits, including an ongoing case brought by New Mexico's Attorney General. Snap says that adding additional "trust signals" to its parental control features "make it easier for parents to understand new connections and have greater confidence that their teen is chatting with someone they know in real life."

The update is also adding more granular stats about how exactly teens are spending their time in the app. Family Center's screen time dashboard now includes a breakdown of how much of their time spent in the app is in its messaging, camera, map or shortform video features. It will still be up to parents to decide what, if any, limits they want to put on their teens. But at a time when there's increasing conversation around banning teens from social media entirely, having access to more stats could better help parents understand their kids' relationship with Snapchat.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snapchat-gives-parents-more-info-on-who-their-kids-are-talking-to-120000077.html?src=rss

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