Trump's Truth Social app set for release Monday in Apple App Store, per executive

Donald Trump's new social media venture, Truth Social, appears set to launch in Apple's App Store on Monday, according to posts from an executive on a test version viewed by Reuters, potentially marking the return of the former president to social media o

In a series of posts late on Friday, a verified account for the network's chief product officer, listed as Billy B., answered questions on the app from people invited to use it during its test phase. One user asked him when the app, which has been available this week for beta testers, would be released to the public, according to screenshots viewed by Reuters.

"We're currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday 21 February," the executive responded.

The launch would restore Trump's presence on social media more than a year after he was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc's YouTube following the 6 January, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.

On 15 February,Trump's eldest son Donald Jr. posted on Twitter a screenshot of his father's verified @realDonaldTrump Truth Social account with one post, or "truth," that he uploaded on 14 February: "Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!"

In addition to the post disclosing Monday's launch date, the screenshots seen by Reuters show the app is now at version 1.0, suggesting it has reached a level ready for public release. As late as Wednesday, it was at version 0.9, according to two people with access to that version.

A representative for TMTG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple's App Store listing indicates that Truth Social is expected to be released on 21 February, a date that a source familiar with the venture confirmed in January. But in recent weeks Nunes had said publicly that the app would launch by the end of March.

On Friday, Nunes was on the app urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos and participate in conversations, in an apparent attempt to drum up activity, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.