Huddles (app): Difference between revisions

▲Vine co-founder [[Dom Hofmann]] announced in December 2017 that he intended to launch a successor to Vine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/12/06/ready-vine-2-0-co-founder-teases-new-app/928300001/|title=Ready for Vine 2.0? Co-founder teases new app|last=Blumenthal|first=Eli|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/vine-2-postponed/|title=Don't hold your breath for Vine 2 — it's on hold indefinitely, co-founder says|last=Chang|first=Lulu|date=May 6, 2018|website=Digital Trends|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180609085423/https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/vine-2-postponed/ |archive-date=2018-06-09 |access-date=January 25, 2020}}</ref> At the time, he called it "v2".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquisitr.com/4668984/is-vine-making-a-comeback-vine-2-0-teased-by-vine-co-founder/|title=Is Vine Making A Comeback? Vine 2.0 Teased By Vine Co-Founder|website=www.inquisitr.com|date=6 December 2017 |access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref> In May 2018, he posted an update that the project was being put on hold. Among other things, he said that the biggest reason for this was "financial and legal hurdles". He said that his intention was to fund the new service himself as a personal project, but the attention that the announcement generated suggested that the cost to build and run a service that was sustainable at launch would be too high.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2018/05/04/no-vine-2/|title=Vine co-founder halts development of its replacement, v2|website=TechCrunch|date=4 May 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref> In November, he announced that the project was moving forward again with funding and a team, under the new "Byte" branding. At the time, the website invited users to sign up for updates and for content creators to join its "creator program".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/09/vine-co-founder-to-launch-new-video-looping-app-byte-in-spring-2019.html|title=Vine's co-founder says he's launching a new video-looping app called Byte next year|last=Browne|first=Ryan|date=2018-11-09|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref> The partner program was shut down in August, with the byte team announcing that they "will be using this time to take everything [they've] learned and apply it toward future opportunities and programs".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-31|title=Partner Program - Back to the drawing board|url=https://community.byte.co/t/partner-program-back-to-the-drawing-board/57382|access-date=2020-12-30|website=the byte community forums|language=en-US}}</ref>

▲Byte was officially launched to the public on the iOS and Android platforms in over 40 countries on January 24, 2020,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/25/tech/byte-app-tiktok-vine/index.html|title=Byte, the sequel to Vine and potential competitor to TikTok, launches on mobile|author=Shannon Liao|website=CNN|date=25 January 2020 |access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref> with the tagline "creativity first". Additionally, the company has promised a program that intends to compensate creators for their work.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://9to5google.com/2020/01/24/byte-launch-android-ios/|title='Byte' brings back Vine, launches on Android and iOS|last=Li|first=Abner|date=2020-01-25|website=9to5Google|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/byte_app/status/1220863428006481920|title=very soon, we'll introduce a pilot version of our partner program which we will use to pay creators. byte celebrates creativity and community, and compensating creators is one important way we can support both. stay tuned for more info.|last=byte|date=2020-01-24|website=@byte_app|language=en|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref> In the media, Byte has been referred to as a direct competitor to [[TikTok]] and [[Likee]], similar video sharing platforms popular with teens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://adage.com/article/bloomberg-news/byte-tiktok-rival-co-founder-vine-tops-us-app-store-chart/2230986|title=Byte, a TikTok rival from the co-founder of Vine, tops the U.S. App Store chart|date=2020-01-27|website=adage.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5772227/vine-creator-tiktok/|title=Vine Is Back and It's Already Beating TikTok in the App Store|magazine=Time|date=27 January 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/byte-vs-tiktok-which-video-app-will-live-up-to-vines-legacy/|title=Byte vs. TikTok: The apps vying to be Vine's successor in the hearts of Gen Z and snake people|last=Brown|first=Shelby|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2020-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/tiktok-rival-byte-becomes-most-downloaded-iphone-app-in-us-11580171938310.html|title=TikTok rival Byte becomes 'most downloaded iPhone app' in US|date=2020-01-28|website=Livemint|language=en|access-date=2020-04-14}}</ref>

▲On January 26, 2021, it was announced that Clash, another short-form video app, would be acquiring Byte. The deal was finalized the following month,<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=26 January 2021|title="A Vine Reunion? Video Apps Clash and Byte Join Forces "|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/style/clash-byte-app-acquisition.html|url-status=live|access-date=|last1=Lorenz|first1=Taylor}}</ref> with both apps merging into a single one called Clash.<ref>{{Cite web|last=App|first=Clash|date=2021-01-27|title=Byte App is Joining the Clash Family|url=https://clashappco.medium.com/byte-app-is-joining-the-clash-family-a21771a4a196|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Medium|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=App|first=Clash|date=2021-05-28|title=Clash: Announcing Early Beta Testing For Byte Creators|url=https://clashappco.medium.com/clash-announcing-early-beta-testing-for-byte-creators-21d12d7188ce|access-date=2021-09-15|website=Medium|language=en}}</ref> After months of beta testing, Clash was publicly available on App Store on October 12, 2021. It became available for Android two months later.<ref>{{Cite web|last=App|first=Clash|date=2021-01-27|title=One-time TikTok rival Byte relaunches as Clash, an app for video creators and their top fans|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/12/one-time-tiktok-rival-byte-relaunches-as-clash-an-app-for-video-creators-and-their-top-fans|access-date=2021-10-12|website=Medium|language=en}}</ref> It is available in 41 languages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://help.byte.co/hc/en-us/articles/360038891252-When-will-byte-become-available-in-my-country-|title=When will byte become available in my country?|website=help.byte.co|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-01}}</ref>