# Byte

> Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann's app Byte had an estimated 1.3 million downloads in week one.

- Owner: Byte (Dom Hofmann)
- Kind: App & software
- Sector: Technology
- Seed date: 2020-01-24
- Peak date: 2020-07-09
- Spread Score: 12 (Niche), v1.2
- Mechanics: Maker origin, Pairing, Newsjacking

## Summary

Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann launched Byte on January 24, 2020. It was the top free iPhone app in the U.S. that day and had an estimated 1.3 million downloads in its first week. Downloads rose again in July 2020 amid talk of a U.S. TikTok ban. Clash bought it in 2021.

## Timeline

- 2020-01-24 — Byte (App stores) — Byte went live on the App Store and Google Play; its account said it was bringing back 6-second looping videos.
- 2020-01-24 — TechCrunch (Press) — TechCrunch reported the launch and said former Vine stars including Lance Stewart were already on Byte.
- 2020-01-24 — U.S. App Store (App stores) — Byte ended launch day as the No. 1 free iPhone app on the U.S. App Store, per Sensor Tower. (1 No. 1 free iPhone app)

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/byte

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Byte.” Case HIS-00442. Spread Score v1.2: 12/100. Updated 2026-10-13. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00442