In 2020, TikTok was the most downloaded mobile app in the world, surpassing Facebook and its services, highlighting how the pandemic boosted the popularity of this short video recording app beyond its original young audience. According to the analytics company App Annie, the app owned by the Chinese group ByteDance topped the list of the most downloaded apps last year, followed by Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger, which are services of the social media giant. Snapchat and Telegram followed next.
TikTok faced a challenging period in late 2019 when former President Donald Trump attempted to ban it in the US, claiming it was a tool used to spy on Americans for China. However, this did not impact its popularity, as it gained traction amid health restrictions and lockdown measures. In June, Joe Biden announced the cancellation of his predecessor's decrees and requested his administration to investigate the actual risks posed by internet applications owned by certain foreign powers.
This short video app, mostly featuring music or comedy, boasts around 700 million monthly users worldwide. However, Facebook still holds the record for the largest number of subscribers ever, with over 3.5 billion users accessing at least one of its services each month. Nonetheless, Instagram and other social media networks have also adopted this short video format enhanced with easy-to-use special effects that contributed to TikTok's popularity.
