Our feeds have been flooded by people joining Vero. But what does it mean, and how does it work? Here's everything you need to know...
You might have seen that there's something of a movement going on when it comes to social media; anyone who's anyone seems to be downloading Vero.
But is it really worth your precious phone storage? Here's what you need to know...
What is Vero?
In essence, Vero is a photo-sharing app. Yup, it's pretty similar to Instagram in that sense, but with a few very important differences.
The biggest one? Well, you've probably heard all about the frustrations surrounding Instagram's unpopular algorithm, and Vero seems to have been hailed as the new alternative.
Marketed as the 'social network that lets you be yourself,' Vero is ad-free and - most importantly - chronological in its feed. It also allows you to link URLs and share recommendations for music and TV.
Launched in 2015 by billionaire Ayman Hariri, it has suddenly burst in popularity.
Interestingly, Vero emphasises its approach to privacy; it only collects a minimal amount of data - such as user's names, email addresses and phone numbers - but it doesn't provide this data to advertisers or other third parties.
Does Vero work?
A number of new users have been reporting 'glitches' and 'difficulties' using the app, but Vero's official Twitter feed has explained that this was due to an unprecedented rise in demand - and is on the way to being fixed.
'Due to very large traffic, we're experiencing intermittent technical issues. We're working to resolve them as soon as possible,' a status update read.
Just this morning, another announcement explained: 'We are scaling our servers to meet the increasing demand.'
How much does Vero cost?
At the moment, Vero is free to download and use.
There have been reports that say that, at some point in the future, Vero may start charging a very small annual subscription fee. Well, it's all in the name of keeping things free from advertising...
How to use Vero
Once you've downloaded the app and created an account, Vero will prompt you to 'search' for friends by using your contacts. This is probably the simplest way to get set-up, and you can assign each 'connection' to a group - either an 'acquaintance' or a 'close friend' - so that you can vary what you share with them.
Of course, you can just 'follow' somebody - whether it's because they're a celebrity or a blogger - in the same way as on Twitter or Instagram.
What should I post on Vero?
Much like Instagram, you can upload photos along with captions and hashtags.
But with Vero you can also share different kinds of media, including music, movies you've seen, TV shows you've binge-watched or books that you love.
Everything is pulled through to the main feed which, ICYMI, is in chronological order.
Will it last?
Vero certainly appears to have grabbed the attention of many, from celebrities to influencers.
Its sudden spike in popularity seems to be a way for people to send a clear message to the power apps that have previously dominated the world wide web, with users showing what they really want from a social media site.
Does Vero have staying power? Only time will tell...
