People Are Flocking To The Hive Social App Following Twitter’s Changes

The last few years have seen you download social media apps you never thought you'd get so into. TikTok? Hello, record screen time. Clubhouse? Never forget. And Hive, an app that's like a combo of Myspace and Instagram, also had a moment back in February 2021. The social media platform allows users to share pictures, text, and yes, a background song that will play when users visit your profile. If your social media presence is missing that very aughties je ne sais quois, you'll want to know how to use Hive. Hello 2003, meet 2022.

Why are you hearing about Hive again all of a sudden, anyway? The app debuted back in October 2019, but according to a tweet from a spokesperson of the app, after commissioning Iman Lewis to make a TikTok post where she encouraged her followers to "ditch Facebook-owned apps" and join, Hive blew up the first week of February and became the number one most downloaded social media app on the Apple store, at least briefly. Now, some users are returning back to Hive following October 2022 changes to Twitter thanks to Elon Musk and the platform has reached one million users as of Nov. 22, 2022.

While jumping on an app trend for curiosity's sake is reason enough to take on another 54.2 MB, Hive might serve a greater utility for people who want to be seen. Unlike TikTok or Twitter, where it's super easy to lurk without posting anything yourself, Hive's greatest features are its multimedia profile pages. On Hive, users can show off their personality by sharing pictures, texts, GIFs, and songs all in one place.

Can't wait to bring back your favorite 2014 sleazecore emo jam and share your shower thoughts without Tweet-and-delete anxiety? Here's how to thrive on Hive.

How To Use Hive

Head to the app store and download Hive Social. It's currently free and available for iPhone. When the app first opens, you'll be prompted to create a user profile before you can explore. Create a username, and then you can start picking media from your library for your profile page and start selecting your interests to help the app intelligently curate content for you. Or, skip ahead to check out featured and trending content. You can also search for specific keywords, users, or interests, just like you would on Instagram.

You'll likely be able to intuit the navigation on Hive because it's eerily similar to Instagram. You can double-tap a photo to like it, press the talk bubble to comment, or hit the share arrows to repost. If you want to visit the user's profile, just tap the username. There, you'll be able to follow them, send them a personal message, check out their posts and see who they follow and who follows them.

How To Create A Post On Hive

Tap the "+" icon in the center of the menu bar to create a post. If your post is a photo or a GIF, you can add a caption, and the image will appear in the grid on your profile. If your post is text-only, it will appear under the smiley face tab. Visiting users can toggle between text and photo posts similarly to how you can toggle between original and tagged posts on Instagram.

Unlike other social networks, your posts will always appear in your follower's feeds in chronological order, so you don't have to worry about the algorithm getting in the way of your most recent post.

How To Find Your Friends On Hive

Tap the search icon in the menu bar and then tap "browse" to search for the usernames of friends who have joined the app. Or tap "trending" to search through hashtags and find accounts of users who post content that you're interested in.

How To Edit Your Hive Profile

Tap the account page icon on the lower left-hand side of the menu to view and edit your profile at any time. When you click the edit tab, you'll be able to change your header image, your profile picture, update your bio, add a website, and update your song slots. When you're happy with your vibe, tap "save" to publish.

On the upper right-hand corner of your profile page, you'll find a menu stack that will bring you to account settings, a record of your liked posts, music preferences, notifications, blocked accounts, and the option to log out.

Make sure you regularly check for updates if you're not set up for automatic ones; the app has experienced some buggy glitches in the past with the influx of new users.

As more new users flock to the Hive, it will become more clear what kind of lasting power the app has. Lean into that desire to spend too much time perfecting your profile.