Last week, TikTok officially split off its US operations by divesting them to TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, an American consortium led by Oracle, MGX Fund Management Limited and Silver Lake.
TikTok will remain functional in the US for the foreseeable future, but the ownership transfer and potential changes to the service's algorithm have prompted many TikTok enthusiasts to ditch the app. Many of the site's users are already reporting that the new version is much worse, and others allege censorship of posts about Jeffrey Epstein or the killing of people by immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota, among other politically driven content moderation.
If you're one of the nearly 200 million people in the US who use TikTok and think it's time to ditch the app, we've put together a list of nine other short-video social media apps worth checking out.
Also: I've Loved TikTok for 6 Years. But the US App Lost Its Secret Sauce
Upscrolled Upscrolled This Australian social media platform has surged up Apple App Store charts, where it currently ranks No. 2 among free apps. Launched in June 2025, the app looks more like a cross between Twitter and Instagram than TikTok, and lets users post photos, videos, and text, though it currently showcases tons of short-form videos. Founder Issam Hijazi remarked on Jan. 25 that the app was struggling technically under the weight of increased usage, noting the site was "increasing its capacity" to meet the demand. See at Upscrolled
Skylight Skylight Skylight Social is a decentralized short-form video app launched in 2025. Unlike TikTok, which uses an algorithm to serve content, Skylight has a human-curated feed. Skylight is built on an open network called the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol), which helps users sync their information across supported social networks. You can import your followers and content from, say, Bluesky to Skylight, so that you aren't locked into one platform. (If you delete your Bluesky account, it won't affect anything you've transferred to Skylight.) See at Skylight
Loops Loops Loops is another decentralized platform for short-form videos, focused on privacy and algorithmic transparency. Through the ActivityPub protocol, Loops users can reach audiences on compatible apps like Mastodon and Pixelfed. Loops is an open-source project intended to empower online creators and communities. Though it's still in beta, you can access the platform through TestFlight on iOS or via APK download on Android. See at Loops
Instagram/CNET Instagram Reels Reels is a video feature on Instagram that lets you film, edit and post video clips in the app. Clips must be between three and 90 seconds long. To get started, make sure you've got the latest version of the Instagram app on iOS or Android. You can find Reels by swiping right to open the camera and tapping Reels. (Read our full Reels tutorial here.) If you've used Vine or TikTok, Reels should feel familiar. On the left side of the screen, there's a slew of filters, songs to add, timed text options and other effects. You can easily swap and post to your Instagram page or story. Plus, you can save a Reel to your drafts to keep working on it later. See at Instagram
Facebook Facebook Reels Much like its Instagram counterpart, Facebook Reels allows users to post video clips up to 90 seconds long. Since Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta, you can automatically share Reels you post on your Facebook account to your Instagram account and vice versa. The Facebook app is available on iOS and Android. See at Facebook
YouTube YouTube Shorts YouTube offers a TikTok-style video feature called YouTube Shorts. Shorts allows creators to film quick, catchy videos up to 60 seconds long. YouTube also provides tools to edit multiple video clips together, as well as speed controls, a timer, and countdown options for hands-free recording. The YouTube app is available on iOS and Android. See at Youtube
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