Apps Like Gas and TBH: What Happened and What's Next

Gas and TBH both went from zero to the top of the App Store by going school by school. Both are gone now. Here's what happened, and what's filling that space for high schoolers.

If you searched "is the Gas app still around," here's the quick answer: no. Gas shut down in 2023. Its older cousin, TBH, shut down back in 2018.

But both apps blew up for reasons that still matter. Here's what happened to each, why they spread so fast, and what's filling that space now.

TBH: the original

• What it was: An anonymous app where high schoolers answered positive polls about classmates. Think "Who has the best laugh?" with four names to pick from.
• Who made it: A small team including Nikita Bier.
• Launch: Fall 2017. It reached number one on the US App Store within weeks.
• Acquired: Facebook bought it in October 2017, reportedly for around $100 million.
• Shut down: July 2018. Facebook said it was closing TBH because of low usage.

Gas: the sequel

• What it was: Basically TBH, rebuilt. Anonymous compliment polls about people at your school. Win a poll, get a "flame." There was also a paid "God Mode" that gave hints about who voted for you.
• Who made it: A team that again included Nikita Bier.
• Launch: August 2022. By October 2022 it was out-downloading TikTok and BeReal on the App Store.
• Acquired: Discord bought Gas in January 2023.
• Shut down: Discord announced in October 2023 that it was shutting Gas down, and it stopped working in November 2023.

So, no, Gas isn't coming back as far as anyone has announced. The app is gone.

Why school-based apps blow up

TBH and Gas didn't spread like normal apps. They spread like a rumor in the hallway. A few reasons:

1. They launched school by school

TBH rolled out one school at a time. When an app shows up at your school, your whole grade joins in the same week. That's way more fun than being the only one of your friends on something.

2. They were built on positivity

Everyone likes being picked for "nicest smile." The polls were compliments, not roasts. That made it feel good to open.

3. There was competition

Flames, counts, being picked more than your friends. People love a scoreboard, even a tiny one.

4. It was about people you actually know

Not influencers. Not strangers. Your lab partner and the kid from homeroom.

Why they faded

Both apps were huge, then usage dropped fast. The usual reasons people point to:

• Polls get repetitive. There are only so many ways to ask who's the funniest.
• Nothing you made lasted. You voted, you got votes, that was it.
• Anonymity has limits. Even with positive polls, not knowing who's behind something gets weird.
• Hype is hard to keep. When a whole school joins in one week, it can leave in one week too.

Apps like Gas and TBH in 2026

There isn't a perfect replacement that works exactly like Gas did. What people use now depends on what they liked:

• Liked the school-wide feeling? Look for apps with a school or student layer.
• Liked the competition? Look for leaderboards, streaks and challenges.
• Liked the anonymity? Be careful. Anonymous apps tend to drift toward drama in high school. Our safety tips for teens are worth a read.

For a wider list of what's out there, see new social apps for teens in 2026.

Portal: school spirit, but you film it

Portal is a new camera-only app for iPhone. It's not a poll app, and it's not anonymous. But it keeps the parts of Gas and TBH that made them work: your school, positivity and a scoreboard.

• Students-only layer. Students verify their school in the app, and only verified students can see student-only posts. It's designed so adults aren't in students' feeds, and adults can't DM students on Portal.
• School leaderboards. See where you rank in your school, plus your city, state and nationally.
• School vs school. School Clash lets schools compete head to head. It's scored per student, so smaller schools can win.
• 1v1 challenges. Challenge a friend to see who gets more likes or views in 24 hours, 3 days or a week.
• Real only. Everything is filmed live in the app. No uploads, filters or AI content, and posts leave the feed after 48 hours.
• Your school stays private. Posts show your city, never your school or address.

The big difference from Gas: instead of voting on each other, you're making stuff and competing together. You get the hallway hype, plus something you actually created. Want the full breakdown of the school competition? Read the school vs school app guide.

The bottom line

TBH and Gas proved that teens love apps built around their own school, with something positive to do and a way to win. Both are gone now, but that idea isn't.

If you miss the feeling of your whole school being on the same app at once, Portal is built for exactly that, with real posts instead of anonymous polls. Get a few friends from your school on it and see who ends up on top.

Rep your school on Portal Share this

Frequently asked questions