AppLovin (APP) Stock Rises on Plans to Launch Its Own Social Media Platform

TLDR

• AppLovin (APP) stock rose ~2% after the company revealed plans to build its own social networking platform.
• The plans came after AppLovin’s failed bid to acquire TikTok’s non-Chinese operations last year.
• Chief Product and Engineering Officer Giovanni Ge confirmed the plans via a Chinese-language podcast, with a job posting already live seeking a social platform architect.
• The move would give AppLovin more access to user data and a bigger share of the mobile ad market, but puts it in direct competition with Meta, TikTok, and Snap.
• APP stock is down ~40% in 2026 due to short seller reports and e-commerce ad expansion concerns, but carries a consensus Strong Buy rating with an average price target of $674.37.

AppLovin stock climbed around 2% Thursday after the company disclosed it is building its own social networking platform, a move that follows its failed attempt to buy TikTok’s non-Chinese assets last year.

AppLovin Corporation, APP

The plans were revealed during a Chinese-language podcast featuring Giovanni Ge, AppLovin’s Chief Product and Engineering Officer. A job posting has since surfaced seeking someone to “architect the digital backbone of our next-generation social platform.”

AppLovin is currently known as a mobile advertising company that helps app developers acquire users and grow revenue. The company divested its game portfolio last year, leaving ad placement as its core business.

Ge explained that AppLovin’s approach is different from how Meta built its empire. Meta grew Facebook and Instagram audiences first, then layered advertising on top. AppLovin already has the ad infrastructure — it just needs the platform to feed it.

The goal is to gain direct access to user data and increase its control in the mobile advertising space. Right now, AppLovin delivers ads inside other companies’ apps. Its own social platform would change that dynamic.

Competition Ahead

If the platform launches, AppLovin would be stepping into a crowded arena. It would compete directly with Meta, TikTok, and Snap — all established players with massive, loyal user bases.

No launch date has been announced publicly.

AppLovin had previously tried to enter this space by acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations when ByteDance faced pressure from the U.S. government to sell. That bid was unsuccessful.

APP Stock Under Pressure in 2026

Despite Thursday’s bump, APP stock is down roughly 40% so far in 2026. Short seller reports and concerns about the company’s push into e-commerce advertising have weighed on the stock.

At its peak in December 2025, AppLovin hit a market value of $248 billion. It now sits at around $140 billion.

Still, Wall Street remains largely optimistic. APP carries a consensus Strong Buy rating from 20 analysts, based on 18 Buy and 2 Hold recommendations issued over the past three months.

The average price target sits at $674.37, which would represent upside of roughly 66.59% from current levels.

AppLovin has not publicly confirmed a timeline for when the social platform will go live.

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