TikTok has seen explosive growth over the past few years, becoming one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. According to https://www.charleagency.com/articles/tiktok-statistics/, TikTok reached 1.5 billion monthly active users in 2022, growing by 16% from the previous year. The app is especially popular among younger demographics, with about 67% of its global users being under 30 years old.
TikTok allows users to create and share short videos set to music ranging from 3 to 60 seconds. Its fun, quirky style and advanced video editing tools have drawn in a massive userbase. The app has spawned numerous viral trends and challenges, with popular videos generating billions of views. As TikTok continues its rapid expansion, many users are calling for the app to expand to desktop platforms.
TikTok’s Mobile Focus
TikTok was initially launched in China in September 2016 as Douyin, a video-sharing app focused on short videos made for mobile devices. According to Agile, in their blog, TikTok was designed from the ground up as a mobile-first app, optimized for creating, viewing, and sharing short videos on smartphones.
The app quickly gained popularity in China before expanding overseas under the name TikTok in 2017. TikTok retained the core mobile-focused experience even as it grew its international user base to over 1 billion monthly active users. TikTok’s mobile-first origins help explain its lack of a desktop app, as the platform was conceived for smartphone use.
Demand for a Desktop App
Many users have expressed interest in a desktop version of TikTok for increased convenience. While TikTok was originally designed as a mobile-first experience, desktop usage has grown as the platform expands. According to HootSuite, over 30% of TikTok’s users now access the platform via desktop. The desire for a dedicated desktop app stems from the efficiency of using a mouse and keyboard compared to mobile touchscreens. Uploading, editing, and navigating through an endless feed is easier on desktop. Users also cite multi-tasking and the ability to use a larger screen as benefits. The prevalence of desktop usage shows substantial demand for TikTok to develop an official desktop app.
Third-Party Desktop Apps
Independent developers have created desktop apps that allow TikTok to be accessed on desktop computers. These third-party TikTok desktop apps are not officially created or endorsed by TikTok, but provide an alternative way for users to engage with TikTok content on PC and Mac devices.
According to TikTok’s support page, third-party apps are not affiliated with TikTok and may pose potential risks, including security and privacy issues (1). However, several third-party desktop apps like BlueStacks, NoxPlayer, and LDPlayer emulate the TikTok mobile experience on desktop operating systems.
These apps allow core TikTok functionality like uploading, viewing, liking, and commenting on videos. However, features like direct messaging other users may not be supported. Reviews of third-party apps mention issues like laggy performance and occasional crashes (2). So while not perfect substitutes for an official desktop app, these provide an accessible option for Windows and Mac users wanting the TikTok experience on their computers.
TikTok’s Web App
In November 2020, TikTok launched a web version of their app that allows users to access TikTok on their desktop or laptop browsers rather than only on mobile devices. The web version offers many of the key features that made TikTok popular on mobile, including viewing, liking, commenting on, and sharing videos on the platform (TikTok). Users can also search for videos, follow other accounts, message friends, and edit their profile on TikTok’s web version.
According to TikTok, the web version provides an accessible way for users to watch TikTok videos on larger screens when they don’t have access to a mobile device (Investopedia). While the experience is optimized for mobile, the web version brings TikTok to desktop and laptop users for the first time without needing to download any apps or software.
Features of the Web App
While not as full-featured as the mobile app, TikTok’s web platform provides users with core functionality to browse and engage with content. According to TikTok’s Creator Portal, key capabilities of the web app include:1
- Watching videos and live streams
- Liking, commenting and sharing videos
- Uploading videos up to 10 minutes long
- Editing and trimming uploaded videos
- Adding effects and music
- Creating video reactions
- Following hashtags and creators
- Curating favorites and playlists
While more limited than mobile, these core features allow users to actively engage with content and creators on TikTok through their desktop browser.2
User Response
The reception and reviews of TikTok’s web app have been generally positive so far. Many users appreciate having a desktop option that allows for easier browsing and commenting compared to the mobile app. According to reviews on GetApp, users find the web app has a “clean and easy to navigate interface” (https://www.getapp.com/website-ecommerce-software/a/tiktok/reviews/page-5/). Reviews on Capterra highlight how the web app has “helped grow my business” and serves as a source of “inspiration for work” (https://www.capterra.com/p/237591/TikTok/reviews/).
At the same time, some users feel the web app lacks certain features available on mobile. According to SoftwareAdvice, users appreciate the smooth video creation but want to see “unique features to create great content” ported from mobile to desktop (https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/tiktok-profile/reviews/). Overall, the reception indicates users welcome the web app as a complement to the mobile experience.
Future Desktop Development
While TikTok currently has no official desktop app, the company has hinted at potential plans for an expanded desktop experience in the future. In a 2021 blog post announcing the Video Scheduler tool, TikTok stated they are “continuing to build upon features that help Creators and Brand Accounts with expanding their presence and engaging with the TikTok community” (https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/introducing-video-scheduler-now-you-can-plan-tiktoks-in-advance). Features like Video Scheduler demonstrate TikTok’s ongoing development of creative tools, initially launched on mobile but expanded to the web platform. This provides a foundation for a more robust desktop experience in the future.
As TikTok continues to grow in popularity around the world, the demand for a native desktop app tailored to content creation will likely increase. TikTok seems receptive to user feedback and demand, making it plausible they will develop an improved desktop experience over time. With the web app still in its infancy, TikTok has ample opportunity to integrate desktop-friendly features for uploading, editing, and managing content. The potential certainly exists for TikTok to ultimately release a full-fledged desktop app that provides creators with an optimal environment for producing high-quality videos.
Pros of a Desktop App
A dedicated TikTok desktop app would have some notable benefits over the mobile experience. First, the larger screen real estate of a computer monitor or laptop allows for an expanded interface with more information density (Source). Users could see more video thumbnails, comments, and creator profiles at once. The desktop form factor also enables easier content creation, allowing users more precise editing tools and keyboard shortcuts for tasks like trimming clips.
Second, a desktop app could improve performance and reduce limitations faced on mobile devices. Desktops offer faster processing power and webcam capabilities for capturing higher quality videos (Source). Unconstrained by smaller storage, videos can be longer with higher resolution. Downloading and installing the app locally also avoids mobile data usage.
Finally, having dedicated desktop access allows for more convenience in situations where using a phone is inconvenient. For example, some users may prefer creating or viewing content on a big screen while at home. Students could more easily manage profiles or watch videos while studying at a computer. Overall, the pros demonstrate meaningful benefits over mobile-only use for serious TikTok fans.
Conclusion
In summary, while TikTok has focused primarily on mobile, many users want the option to access TikTok on their desktop as well. This has led to the creation of some third-party desktop apps, but TikTok has also developed its own web version that provides much of the same functionality as the mobile app. The TikTok web app allows users to browse, like, comment on, and upload videos right from their desktop. However, it lacks some features like direct messaging, and the interface isn’t optimized for desktop. While TikTok seems focused on mobile for now, the company may very well develop a native desktop app in the future if there is enough demand from users. For the time being, people who want the TikTok experience on desktop can use the web app or third party apps to access TikTok from their computer.