In 2020, TikTok overtook Facebook, and its other brands, to become the most downloaded app, according to a new survey. Launching internationally in 2017, the social media app was able to fill the gap left by the shuttering of Vine, focusing on attracting younger audiences to its platform by leveraging easy-to-use editing tools and limited video length. However, the app has come under fire as lawmakers question its data privacy practices. Former U.S. President Donald Trump even threatened to completely ban the app from operating in the U.S.
Following Trump's departure from the White House, it no longer looks like the app will be banned and TikTok has been expanding the ability for users to further curate the content recommended to them, while also extending the maximum length of videos that can be uploaded to the platform. Several other apps have launched features similar to what TikTok offers, but nothing seems to be able to eclipse the viral app's appeal.
As reported by Nikkei Asia, a global survey performed by App Annie showed that TikTok overtook Facebook in worldwide app downloads during 2020, moving up from fourth place in 2019. Facebook, and the platforms owned by the company, all trailed behind. TikTok was also the most downloaded app in the U.S. and has the third-highest amount of downloads in Japan. TikTok’s Chinese version, Douyin, held onto its place as the most downloaded app in China, according to the survey. It is not just downloads where TikTok is having an impact either. In comments to Nikkei Asia, App Annie's Chuzen Kin explained how “total viewing time for TikTok in the U.S. and U.K. is longer than that for YouTube."
Facebook's Popularity Slipping?
While TikTok’s wide appeal can be attributed to its young audience, older users have also turned to the platform as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the way in which people find entertainment and communicate with each other. TikTok’s closest competitor, Facebook, has also gone through its share of negative press over the last two years, which may have contributed to people looking for an alternative app to use.
Even with the privacy concerns surrounding TikTok, it would seem as though its appeal is only continuing to grow, and especially as the app also continues to expand functionality while proving popular with an increasingly wider range of users. While other companies continue to play catch-up in an attempt to create a better alternative to TikTok, the app's constant evolving through new features, like TikTok Resumes, is likely to continue to ensure it maintains an edge. Furthermore, unless one of the TikTok's competitors manages to do something truly revolutionary, the popular app is likely to now maintain its place as the most downloaded app for quite some time.
Source: Nikkei Asia