Those who have missed videos shared on other social media sharing platforms have little or no need to worry too much as they may find some comfort in TikTok.

TikTok which is also known as Douyin in China, is a social media app for making, sharing of videos as well as live broadcast. The video app has been gaining worldwide recognition. Since it’s launching in September 2016, it has recorded near 80 million downloads in the US alone and about a billion downloads globally (figures from mobile research firm- Sensor Tower) excluding figures from Android users located in China.

Users of TikTok share short videos of themselves doing their normal day activities likin brushing of their teeth, taking their dogs for a walk, cooking, swimming and so on. The videos can be edited with a filter, sped up or slowed down and normally include a featured music in the background. TikTok have similar features to Instagram where users can follow others, leave a comment or “heart” on videos.

TikTok has seen its revenue rise to over 200% in the past year, this is according to Sensor Tower. It has done so well in increasing its marketing efforts internationally. Social media influencers and celebrities are starting to sign up. Social media influencers and celebrities are starting to join. YouTube star Jake Paul, comedian Jimmy Fallon and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk all have accounts.

According to reports from Apptopia, the app recorded more downloads than Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram a month after its launch in September 2016. It also had more downloads than them in November too.

In August, ByteDance, the Chinese internet company behind the app, shut down Musical.ly -- a short-form video app it acquired in November 2017 -- and merged it with TikTok. Since then, it's been gaining popularity in the United States.

Musical.ly which was acquired in November 2017 was shut down by ByteDance; the Chinese company that developed the app, and it was merged with TikTok.  Since then, it's been gaining popularity in the United States.

The company refers to itself as an AI company, and it is popular in China for its news app Jinri Toutiao, or also known as "Today's Headlines," which they launched in 2012.

Chinese social media apps have a difficult time in enticing users from outide the country and from the look of things TikTok could be one of the most successful apps from China. The app is en route to becoming the first long term successful social media app in the US operated and owned by an Asian Company; this is according to Apptopia recent report.

TikTok has being gaining much attraction from brands too. It recent times it partnered with popular fashion brand “Guess” on a denim movement to target Millennials and Generation Z on its platform in September.

The increasing popularity of TikTok has not gone unnoticed by other social media gaints. As of recent Facebook launched app called Lasso-which lets users creates and share short videos with the same effects and features of TikTok.

Adam Blacker the VP and comunciations lead at Apptopia reffered to Lasso as “almost identical” to TikTok

Since its launch Lasso has not recorded much download and this may be because Facebok hasn’t put any advertising effort behind the launch. Adam Blacker thinks “Facebook likely views Lasso first launch as an extended beta testing”.

Not every viral apps end up successful and TikTok's fate is still to be determined