In 2019, it seems that there are no people left who somehow would not have heard about TikTok - an application that successfully combined the functions of Instagram, Snapchat and the deceased Vine. It thundered in 2018, having gained immense popularity among US teens, and then they started talking about it around the world. The service is still in the TOP of free App Store applications. Apparently, it is not going to give up its positions. I decided to examine in more detail what it was like and why it is so popular.

What is it all about?

As mentioned above, TikTok is a service that immediately resembles Instagram, Snapchat and Vine in functionality. It is designed to create and view 15 seconds long videos. Mostly videos are clips, sketches, or reactions to trends. In addition, it allows you to run live broadcasts.

TikTok was launched in China in 2016 under the name Douyin. Then it was dubbed the "new Vine." Soon after, ByteDance, the creator of the service, released its counterpart, TikTok for the global market.

The audience of the service is more than 800 million people per month. The large coverage for such a short period of time is also due to the fact that in 2018 TikTok absorbed the musical service Musical.ly, thus adding 100 million people. Although the decision was controversial. Industry experts then suggested that it could scare away users who switched from Musical.ly, but the audience only continued to grow.

2018 came the flourishing popularity of the service. Then it managed to get around Instagram on downloads.

However, even now TikTok is not losing ground - it has recently become known that it remains the most downloaded application on iOS for the fifth quarter in a row.

According to information and records for November 2018, the daily audience of the service is 800 million users. It is important to note that the service managed to gain such a user base in almost a year, while Instagram took about 9 years to do it. So, to create app like Tiktok, you may require a team of expert developers.

How TikTok Works?

The application’s functionality is similar to Instagram, so it’s not difficult to deal with it. Registration in TikTok is optional, but if you refuse it, you can only flip through the feed and watch popular videos. In order to publish content yourself and configure preferences, you still have to register.

The registration process itself is standard - you can use the account of one of the most popular social networks to enter, including mail or phone.

After entering the application, you will immediately be offered to see the “recommend” tab, where user’s videos with a large number of likes are collected. The toolbar, as in Instagram is located at the bottom of the screen.

The most important tab in TikTok is the ribbon. In it, all the space is reserved for content and between subscriptions, you can switch using the buttons at the top of the screen. For likes, reposts and comments, use the buttons on the right side of the screen.

Private messages and all information about your activity in the social network is collected on the “notifications” tab. There you can see alerts about live broadcasts, events and trends that have begun.

Since the main function of the application is to record videos of various formats, the central button of the navigation panel is designed just for this. Users can shoot a new video or download something ready from their gallery.

During shooting, users can switch between cameras, adjust the speed, add filters, etc. When you click on the button at the top of the screen, you can add music to the video. Users can choose a simple search or look at charts and personalized lists.

After the video is ready, the publication menu opens, where you can choose the privacy settings and the ability to export to other social networks. There you can save the video in draft or publish it immediately.

In addition to standard videos, you can record a duet in TikTok. In such videos, one part is created by one user, and the second, after its recording, by one of his friends. To use this functionality, you need to record a movie and press the “share” button when saving. After that, you will need to select "Duet". While recording a duet, users have the same functionality available as for regular videos.

There is also a “reaction” in TikTok - this video format is a response to someone’s publication. Publishing a reaction is simple - just click “share” after recording the video and select “Reaction”. After that, the recorded video will be superimposed in the form of a small window on the original.

Who needs it?

Obviously, the first ones that come to mind are teenagers. In the fall of 2018, TikTok was already considered almost the main application for young people. The fact that the service is aimed specially at a young audience is evidenced by a widespread set of stickers, filters, beauty effects, etc.

Video content is extremely popular among a young audience. According to the Pew Research Center, YouTube is now the #1 platform for young people 13 to 17 years old. Therefore, it is not surprising that TikTok with its rollers and filters “fired”.