The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now.
The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now.
TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo Latest Startups Venture Apple Security AI Apps Events Podcasts Newsletters Search Submit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest
Jack Dorsey-backed Vine reboot Divine launches to the public Sarah Perez 5:00 AM PDT · April 29, 2026 A new project to bring back Vine’s six-second looping videos is now available for download on the App Store and Google Play . Divine, as this Vine reboot is called, offers access to an archive of roughly 500,000 Vine videos, restored from a backup of the original service, and allows creators to post new Vines once again.
Divine was financed by “and Other Stuff,” a nonprofit formed in May 2025 by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. The non-profit is focused on funding experimental open source projects that have the potential to transform the social media landscape. Dorsey’s backing of Divine doesn’t make him a traditional investor since he’s not looking to get a return here. Rather, his goal is to correct an earlier mistake he made as CEO of Twitter: shutting down Vine in the first place.
To create Divine , Evan Henshaw-Plath, an early Twitter employee and member of “and Other Stuff ,” explored the Vine archive. Henshaw-Plath, who goes by “Rabble” online, explained that much of Vine’s content was originally backed up by a community archiving project known as the Archive Team .
Those videos had been stored as large, 40-50 GB binary files, which required Rabble to write big data scripts to figure out how the files worked and how to reconstruct them, along with the user engagement, like the views, likes, and comments, that were associated with the original videos.
Not all data was able to be restored, but progress has been made. The app initially launched to testers last November with some 100,000 of Vine’s top videos, then grew to around 300,000 videos just ahead of today’s launch, Rabble told TechCrunch. Now, the app hosts roughly 500,000 videos from nearly 100,000 original Vine creators as it becomes publicly available for the first time.
The effort has attracted the attention of several early Vine creators, including Lele Pons , JimmyHere , MightyDuck , and Jack and Jack , among others. (Divine user profiles are viewable on the web, even if you don’t have the Divine mobile app.)
Rabble said the initial plan was to quickly push out the app after some initial tests, but early Viners encouraged the team to hold off.
Techcrunch event Meet your next investor or portfolio startup at Disrupt Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $410. Meet your next investor or portfolio startup at Disrupt Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $410. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW “It was actually the Viners who were like ‘no, no — this is way more important than just nostalgia,” he explains. The users said they wanted something like Vine that would reset social media and filter out AI slop. “They’re the ones who told us to wait and get it right. And so that’s what we did.”
The team rolled up their sleeves, revisited and rewrote the code in parts, and focused on the app’s design.
The version of Divine launching today is a result of those efforts, and includes features like compilation mode, which reflects how much of today’s youngest generation grew up watching Vines. With this mode, people can create their own lists of videos to make their own compilations.
To use compilations, you could visit a hashtag, like #cats, and it will autoplay a stream of matching Vine videos. You can stop the stream to interact with the content, like reposting or liking the videos, or you can just sit back and watch.
Another key aspect of Divine’s value proposition is its lack of AI-generated content.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-- --
PLEASE LIKE IF YOU FOUND THIS HELPFUL TO SUPPORT OUR FORUM.
