A little-known app called Vero rocketed to the top of the iOS app store in the past week. Vero, which is Latin for the word "Truth" was created by the Lebanese billionaire, Ayman Hariri.
The app launched in 2015, but it surged in popularity the week of February 18, according to App Annie.
Vero says that's because members of the tattoo and cosplay communities started migrating to Vero from other social media platforms. An Instagram search of "#vero" brings up thousands of photos of Instagram users requesting that their followers find them on Vero.
But the app has experienced growing pains. A number of users are reporting technical difficulties and crashes. The company said they are working to fix the problems.
So how does it work? When you join, you sign up with your name, email and phone number — there are no usernames on Vero. It's different from Instagram in that you can share more than just photos. You can also share links, music, movies/TV, books and places. And unlike Instagram's algorithm, Vero's feed shows up in chronological order. Just like the other social media platforms, you can follow your friends, brands and verified celebrity users. The appeal of Vero seems to stem from the fact that the company promises to not track data and that it will keep the app ad-free.
Users can download Vero for free right now, but the company says it will eventually charge a small subscription fee.