Vine Successor ‘Byte’ Won’t Showcase Follower Counts On Users’ Profiles, Founder Says

Dom Hofmann, the serial entrepreneur behind Vine successor Byte, is teasing some details about the forthcoming app’s interface ahead of its reported launch this spring.

In a series of tweets yesterday, Hofmann teased some photos of Byte user profiles, which he says won’t feature follower count figures — marking something of an aboutface from standard profile displays on other social platforms. Given that follower counts can serve as a great source of great — and stress — for creators, Hofmann is clearly trying to send a message, emphasizing content quality over personal popularity.

Instead, he says, the first page of user profiles on Byte will feature a picture, a brief bio, and URL handles for Byte and other social services. On a second page, Byte creators can fill in additional details, including follower counts — though “you choose what you wanna show or hide.” Hofmann has previously described Byte as having three core philosophies: giving an equal voice to every artist, being as financially generous as possible, and fostering an inclusive and non-toxic community.

Byte’s development has been something of a long and winding road, with Hofmann — who also co-founded Vine — announcing the project in late 2017 but then postponing it indefinitely in May due to legal and financial hurdles. He announced in November that the app was back on.

You can check out some early screen grabs of Byte user profiles within the app — which is currently in beta — below: