Is Vine coming back in 2025?
Back in the earlier days of the social media explosion, before anybody heard about reels, TikTok and Doom scrolling, there was an app that was specialised in catching people’s attention. It had a feed of 6 second videos relevant to your interests. Sounds familiar? The app is, of course, Vine. Vine’s launch happened in January 2013. Not long after the release the app was the hottest topic in the social media industry. The hype continued right up to the sudden announcement on October 27, 2016, when Vine announced that Twitter would shut down the Vine Mobile App. But Why did this happen, and why is Vine trending again in 2025?
What is Vine App?
In 2013, Vine was the hottest social media platform. The Short-form video fromatwas game-changing, as it was a new and exciting concept. No matter where you were, you could pick up your phone and watch short videos. It is similar to TikTok today, but it is a slightly different concept, as the videos were limited to a length of 6 seconds. The idea behind this restriction was to allow the creator only 6 seconds to be creative. It was mostly used for funny videos and quick sketches. Many Celebrities started their online journey on the Vine platform.
Celebrities who started their journey on Vine:
- Logan Paul
- Jake Paul
- KingBach
- Lele Pons
- Nash Grier
- Brittany Furlan
- Jerome Jarre
The rise & fall of Vine
The original owners Rus Yuspov, Colin Kroll and Dom Hoffmann sold the platform
to Twitter in 2012. This was the start of an upgoing curve for the company. For four years, the app has been one of the go-to media for entertainment.
Initial launch and upcoming success 2012-2013
The founders sold Vine to Twitter for an incredible $30 billion, making the app an overnight success when it was released for Windows and Android.
Vine became the most downloaded video-sharing app on the market shortly after.
Innovation and keeping up with a growing market 2014-2015
The app was a huge hit for teenagers and adults. In order to target a larger audience, the Vine Kids app was released for the younger generation.
Vine launched an update showing the number of views on videos at the top of the screen to reach users who wish to follow up on their audience size. In addition to the update, Vine increased the video time from 6 seconds to 140 seconds.
Featured music also becomes one of the app’s game-changers, as many users insert music synchronizing to videos.
The Downfall of Vine 2016
Due to market growth, apps like Snapchat have slower market growth. Vine is lagging behind innovation and has become outdated due to the limitations that other media platforms are avoiding, which led to the app shutting down. (source)
Elon Musk Interest in Vine
On X (Also known as Twitter) The Tech Billionaire Elon Musk doesn’t hesitate to bring back the debate about Vine.
Here is an example of a post Musk made on X.com:
Bring back Vine?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2022
But where does this renewed interest come from? It is not news that short videos and TikTok have been very exciting and popular in recent years. TikTok is one of the biggest and most influential social media platforms and is used by many million Americans. It wasn’t until TikTok went offline Saturday night in America. This was due to a ban from the Supreme Court on Friday, with support from Congress, and a law signed by President Joe Biden. The law should prevent American companies from making content on Chinese-owned platforms unless it sells itself to a buyer from the US or one of the US’s allies.
Past forward a few days. TikTok suggested the app could return as soon as Monday, as the new President Donald Trump indicated that he would “most likely” delay the ban on TikTok with a 90-day extension. Trump added that he hadn’t made a final decision yet, in a phone interview with NBC News on Saturday. Shortly after, TikTok was back for American users to create and watch videos again. (source)
Vine and TikTok Comparison:
| Feature/Aspect | Vine | TikTok |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Year | 2013 | 2016 |
| Founder/Owner | Dom Hofmann, Rus Yusupov, Colin Kroll | ByteDance |
| Video Length | 6 seconds (looping) | Up to 10 minutes |
| Editing Features | Basic trimming and looping | Advanced editing tools, filters, effects, and sounds |
| Music Integration | Limited | Extensive music library and trending sounds |
| Monetization for Creators | No direct monetization options | Creator Fund, ads, and partnerships |
| Platform Popularity | Peaked early but declined (shut down in 2017) | Continues to grow with global dominance |
| Audience Engagement | Short and humorous content, fewer interactions | Highly interactive with likes, comments, duets, and stitches |
| Global Availability | Limited, primarily Western markets | Available globally (except in some restricted regions) |
| Algorithm | Simpler, chronological feed | Highly advanced, AI-driven personalized feed (For You Page) |
| Business Use | Minimal | Extensive use for marketing, brand promotions, and ads |
| Cultural Impact | Pioneered short-form video trends | Revolutionized content creation and reshaped social media dynamics |
| Shutdown/Availability | Shut down in 2017 | Active and expanding |
Trump and Musk are close collaborative partners. Having people on Mars is a long obsession of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, President Donald Trump Promised in his inaugural address he world “pursue our manifest into the stars, launching American astronauts who plant the stars and Stripes on the planet Mars” The reaction from Musk was not to be mistaken, as he grinned very widely.
The moments under the inaugural address illustrate the partnership between Musk and Trump. Musk now has contracts with the federal government. (source)
Benefits of bringing back Vine
America wants the power of Social Media, and TikTok is standing in the way of making this happen. Bringing back Vine as a competitor for TikTok would benefit the independence of America, And as Vine was owned by Twitter, and Elon Musk is the chairman of twitter, this would be very powerful for America and Trump, as the partnership between Musk and Trump is exceptional. (source)
This article written by:
Oliver Has 4 years of experience working with SEO in the SEO agency SEO Danmark APS. Oliver has talent in content creation, working with several big SEO solutions for Danish and international clients.