TikTok’s road to becoming a super app
Key takeaways
- Although Tik Tok is widely described as a social media giant, it’s been gradually moving beyond that category.
- It appears that Tik Tok is taking steps to evolve into a “super app,” a single platform where users can do much more than just watch and share videos and that can actually handle a wide range of needs in one destination.
- Instead of switching between apps, TikTok is working to become the app that people use for most of their digital activities.
Although Tik Tok is widely described as a social media giant, it’s been gradually moving beyond that category. Over time, the video app added Tik Tok Shop, a map for local discovery, robust search, games, and so much more. Recently, it s added hotel booking capabilities and is pursuing a fintech license.
It appears that Tik Tok is taking steps to evolve into a “super app,” a single platform where users can do much more than just watch and share videos and that can actually handle a wide range of needs in one destination.
The super app model is big in China with apps like WeChat, which is kind of like Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Pay, and an app store all rolled into a single platform. Of course, there s the question of whether a super app model would work outside of China, but that doesn t mean TikTok won t try.