TikTok remains offline in US for third day after power cut, as new rival UpScrolled downloads surge

The timing is pretty notable, as this all began during TikTok's first weekend operating under its new American owners. The issues have stuck around for over three days now.

TikTok's new owners have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to confirm that some of the problems with the app were caused by a power cut.

Since yesterday we’ve been working to restore our services following a power outage at a U.S. data center impacting TikTok and other apps we operate. We're working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We're sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon.

— TikTok USDS Joint Venture (@tiktokusdsjv) January 26, 2026

Service is still disrupted, and there has been no confirmation on when it can be expected to be up and running properly again, although the new owners have confirmed work is ongoing to "stabilise" the app previously run by ByteDance.

An update on our work to restore and stabilize TikTok. pic.twitter.com/PZzsuFeZmj

— TikTok USDS Joint Venture (@tiktokusdsjv) January 26, 2026

As a result, users across the United States have flocked to a new competitor called UpScrolled.

UpScrolled is considered an alternative to TikTok, as it supports short-form videos, video editing, and text posts. It was founded in 2025 by Issam Hijazi, a Palestinian-Australian technologist and current CEO of the company.

With TikTok users still struggling to use the app, downloads of UpScrolled have surged in the last 72-hours — pushing the free app to rank as number two in the App Store, the only place to download new software on iPhone and iPad.

Google's Play Store, the primary app marketplace for Android devices, have seen a similar surge, with UpScrolled downloaded over 100,000 times.

The dramatic spike in downloads could be a result of complaints after the deal with TikTok's new American owners was finalised. The social media app, which became popular during the Covid-19 pandemic due to its viral dance trends, was due to be banned if ByteDance, the Chinese company that created the app, failed to sell its US operations to an American owner.

As a result, a deal was officially struck on January 22.

The arrangement means TikTok now operates as a joint venture where American and international investors control the majority of the company.

Its new ownership group includes Oracle and MGX, both backed by US President Donald Trump. These investors now hold 80.1 % of the company, while ByteDance keeps a smaller 19.9% stake.

Some TikTok users have bristled at US President Trump's ties to the new owners of TikTok, while others have accused the app of censoring posts critical of his administration's immigration policies.

TikTok's ownership shake-up has brought fresh terms of service that you'll need to accept if you want to keep using the app. These updated rules also give TikTok expanded powers to track your location more precisely and target advertising based on your activity in the US.

The company can now even collect details about how you interact with AI features on the platform.

There's also a new data-sharing arrangement to be aware of – the revised privacy policy states that the American version of TikTok will share certain information with its global operations to make sure your experience stays consistent wherever you are.

In a statement on UpScrolled's website, “Social media was supposed to connect us. Instead, it’s become a system where algorithms decide who gets heard. Creators watch their reach mysteriously drop. Small businesses can’t reach their own followers. Communities sharing their truth find their posts buried while misinformation spreads.

"UpScrolled exists because we were tired of waiting for Big Tech to do the right thing. We needed a place where people could speak freely without playing algorithm games or being punished for telling the truth. UpScrolled is for everyone: from minorities to small businesses, creators, and everyday people.

"We’re building the next big social platform — one designed to work for people who care. A space where your words are seen, your voice matters, and your presence isn’t treated like a threat. This didn’t start as a business idea—it started because we were fed up. Now we’re turning that frustration into something real.

Stay tuned to GBN Tech as we continue to monitor the outage.