TikTok can be thought of an annoying fad or the next mainstream social media platform. Aside from the hundreds of compilation videos on YouTube, the app itself has truly made a name for itself, globally.
The app emerged from China in 2016, expanded to the United States when the company purchased a similar app called Musical.ly and merged the two.

Since relaunching the combined company in August, app tracker Apptopia says its U.S. audience grew by 30 million and its downloads were up 25 percent in the three months after the merger compared with the three months before. The app was quickly favored and became the number one downloaded app on the iOS store in 2018.

The app is a combination of multiple viral video applications and is often referred to as “Vine 2”. There, short-form videos are played automatically. A background sound may be added, helping to make certain videos more viral and common to users based on the popularity of the sound.

The apps easy interface is appealing to younger generations. Based on a series of thumb movements, your new favorite viral video may be a swipe away. The For You page is curated to each individual user and can be refreshed with a single tap, bringing hundreds of new videos to your phone.

The app has made its place among makeup gurus, comedians, meme lords, musicians, and almost every other demographic you can think of. Even large corporations such as GrubHub are using it to create advertisements that occasionally show up on your feed.

With the rapid pace that life and internet trends move, TikTok successfully maintains new trends and keeps its users coming back. It is no mystery how the company managed to gain 30 million users three months after it merged with Musical.ly. The app has something for everyone and has no plans to stop growing.