New social media platforms in 2024: Your guide
What are the new social media platforms in 2024? Learn which they are, what they do, and which are the best and most popular.
Author: Alec Chillingworth
Date: Jan 1, 2024 • 7 min read
New social media platforms have popped up left, right, and center in the past year. Let’s take a look at the most popular apps and sites, which are the fastest-growing, which will dethrone the established platforms, and which will prove crucial in 2024 and beyond. Buckle up!
What are the new social media platforms in 2024?
Today, we’ll dissect the buzziest, most interesting social media platforms in 2024. We’ll cover:
Instagram Threads
Lemon8
Kick
Bluesky
Damus
RTRO
Gowalla
Let’s get stuck in!
Instagram Threads
Instagram Threads reared its head in mid-2023, offering a text-based extension to the visual focus of Insta’s main app. Threads’ shareable, update-based layout drew comparisons to Twitter, but there’s enough going on for Threads to carve its own path.
Due to laws around user privacy, data usage, and tech monopoly, Instagram Threads wasn’t available in the EU upon launch. However, that changed in December 2023, and you can now access Threads in the EU. This means that 2024 could be a big year for the app as it picks up traction in more countries!
Lemon8
Lemon8 launched in Japan back in 2020, but it only became available in markets like the UK and USA in 2023 – we can call that ‘new,’ right? The app rattles along with the charm and nostalgia of old-school Instagram and Pinterest, rooted around images and video.
Lemon8 is infinitely shareable, user-friendly, and doesn’t yet feature official monetization. However, reports claim that ByteDance – the company behind TikTok, and heavily rumored to own Lemon8 – has paid UK and US influencers to post on the platform.
Kick
Kick officially launched in late 2022, but really kicked – sorry — things off the following year. Positioned as a direct competitor to Twitch, the platform gives streamers the freedom to broadcast outside of Twitch’s ‘stricter’ payout and content regulations.
Several high-profile Twitch streamers made the jump to Kick in 2023, rounding out its number of active streamers to 12 million. It’s not bothering Twitch’s numbers, but it’s a lively, popular platform that shows no signs of slowing down.
Bluesky
You probably heard about the, um, trouble that X (formerly Twitter) has gotten into over the past year or so. To save the little blue bird and all the goodwill it built up, Twitter’s co-founder, Jack Dorsey, helped create Bluesky.
It’s a decentralized, invite-only platform that operates much like Twitter – in fact, Dorsey announced Bluesky while he still worked at Twitter. It’s free to use but offers a paid-for service, which operates so free users don’t see any advertising; since launching in February 2023, Bluesky’s racked up more than 2 million users.
Damus
Damus is a decentralized, end-to-end encrypted social media platform that takes more than a few cues from Twitter – like Bluesky, Jack Dorsey has given the app his stamp of approval.
The interesting thing about Damus is its censorship-resistant standpoint, which flies against the restrictions users feel Twitter has bowed to in recent years. It also prides itself on being algorithm-free, letting users’ own interests and posts guide them.
At the moment, Damus is only available on Apple devices, and can be downloaded and used without spending a cent. It’s ad-free, but offers users the chance to tip and gift their favorite accounts.
RTRO
RTRO describes itself as ‘non-toxic’ social media. Like Damus, it prides itself on being algorithm-free, dipping into more flashy, Instagram-style stuff than anything resembling Twitter. Share old photos, connect with real-life friends, and style messages to your contacts like actual snail mail.
Gowalla
Gowalla’s a little different to the rest of the apps in this list, because it’s location-based. Users share their coordinates with trusted friends, after which they can comment on each other’s check-ins, collect gamified ‘stamps,’ and visit branded locations.
Gowalla originally launched in 2009, and its comeback is timely – mobile technology, social networking, and users’ desire to get ‘back to basics’ have all caught up with the app. At its heart, Gowalla is an app that unites friends. It’s currently available in a paid-for beta mode via iOS, with plans for wide release in the future.
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What was the fastest-growing social media platform in 2023?
It’s been a wild year for social media, with new contenders popping up all over the place. But which of those was the fastest-growing social media platform of 2023? Turns out it’s… *drumroll*... BeReal!
The no-filter, unedited social sharing app took the world by storm in 2022, and has seen significant growth since. In fact, between May 2022 and January 2023, BeReal usage shot up by a staggering 313%. What’s interesting about this is that it’s organic – the platform is free and has not yet implemented monetization, nor advertising of any kind.
What will replace Instagram in 2024?
People have been scheduling Instagram’s funeral for years now – believe them if you want, but in our eyes, it’s still going strong. With extra features like Threads, Meta Verified, and more, there’s plenty for casual users and businesses alike to sink their teeth into.
What will replace TikTok in 2024?
TikTok’s more popular than ever nowadays, but that’s not to say it’s without critics. Like in previous years, we’ve seen lawmakers in multiple countries try to ban the popular social media app, citing security concerns. So, with that in mind, is there anything in line to replace it?
Put bluntly, no – there is no alternative to the breadth, depth, and quality offered by ByteDance’s flagship app. Not only is TikTok popular with brands, advertisers, and casual scrollers alike, but from a money-spinning perspective, it’s the top social platform for generating income for creators.
What will replace Twitter in 2024?
X – or Twitter, if you’re so inclined – has felt a bit rocky recently. Ever since Elon Musk’s takeover in late 2022, advertisers and investors have been wary of the platform. As such, brands, corporate users, and regular folks have been looking for alternatives. But is there one?
There’s no like-for-like replacement for Twitter yet. The Twitter-like apps we’ve mentioned previously, Bluesky and Damus, have the potential to offer a similar experience; but they’re smaller scale, and in Bluesky’s case, invite-only. Even Instagram Threads, which has the muscle of Meta behind it, gives users a completely different experience. We’ll see how it all plays out in 2024, but for now, Twitter/X is still the big dog.
Is it worth using new social media platforms in 2024?
While many of the new social media platforms in 2024 aren’t commercially minded, that’s not to say that isn’t a focus area. Content creators rake in tons of money on social media, while advertisers on apps like Instagram and YouTube still see chunky returns.
With that in mind, it’s time to think ahead. In 2024 and beyond, you’ll need to cross your t’s and dot your i’s when it comes to emerging social media platforms, trends, and technology – it’s easy to get caught out.
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