A fresh chapter in social media has begun with the launch of Divine, a rejuvenation of the beloved Vine platform, now available for download on both the App Store and Google Play. This innovative app revives the iconic six-second looping videos, providing users access to an impressive archive of approximately 500,000 Vine clips, meticulously restored from the original service's backups. Creators can once again share new Vines, reigniting the creativity that once defined the platform.
Divine is funded by "and Other Stuff," a nonprofit established by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, in May 2025. This organization is dedicated to supporting experimental open-source projects that could reshape the social media environment. Dorsey's involvement is not for profit; rather, it reflects his desire to amend the decision he made as Twitter's CEO to shut down Vine.
The project is spearheaded by Evan Henshaw-Plath, an early Twitter developer known as "Rabble." He engaged in extensive exploration of the Vine archive, leveraging community efforts from the Archive Team to restore much of the content. Although not all data could be salvaged, the team has made significant strides, initially launching with 100,000 of Vine's most popular videos, which has now expanded to around 500,000.
Notable early Vine creators, including Lele Pons and JimmyHere, have shown enthusiasm for Divine, recognizing its potential to redefine social media. The app's design has been refined based on user feedback, emphasizing the importance of delivering a product that resonates with the community.
One standout feature of Divine is its compilation mode, allowing users to create personalized lists of videos. By visiting hashtags like #cats, users can enjoy an autoplay stream of related Vine videos, fostering a dynamic viewing experience. Crucially, Divine differentiates itself by excluding AI-generated content, promoting authenticity in user-generated videos. Users must either record directly in the app or verify the origin of uploaded content using the C2PA standard.
Divine is built on the open social protocol Nostr and is exploring further integration with other open-source protocols, aiming to empower creators and reclaim social media from large tech corporations. While it currently operates without a revenue model, the platform envisions enabling creators to monetize their presence through partnerships and collaborations.
Lele Pons articulated the significance of Divine, stating, "It was such a key moment in my own personal journey, and in internet culture. It makes me so happy to see these early classics brought back to life." With a gradual rollout for users via invite codes, Divine is positioned to not only revive nostalgia but also to reshape the future of content creation and community engagement.