TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of September 2021 (The rise of vertical video and TikTok). The app allows users to create and share short videos, often set to music. While TikTok originated in China, it has achieved widespread global popularity.
TikTok is available as mobile apps for both iOS and Android. There is also a web version that can be accessed from a desktop browser. However, there is currently no native desktop app for Linux. The availability differs across platforms, which this article will explore in more detail.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a video sharing social networking app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It allows users to create and share short videos with effects, filters, and music. TikTok exploded in popularity with teenagers and young adults, becoming one of the most downloaded apps globally.
TikTok is especially popular with Gen Z, those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its fun, quirky videos appeal to their sense of humor and creativity. Teenagers and young adults make up a large portion of TikTok’s user base.
Some of TikTok’s key features that make it stand out include reactions, duets, and stitching. Users can react to videos with quick comments. Duets allow users to create a split screen video responding to another user’s clip. Stitching splices together two different videos side-by-side. These interactive features help videos go viral and expand reach on the platform.
In summary, TikTok is a video-based social network with a young userbase where creators make and share short form videos enhanced with effects and music. Its novel features like duets and stitching set TikTok apart from other platforms.
TikTok on Mobile
TikTok has native mobile apps available for download on both iOS and Android devices. According to a report by Ambuj Saxena on Medium, TikTok has been downloaded over 1 billion times from mobile app stores as of 2020. The majority of these downloads came from India, which accounted for 611 million downloads, followed by China with 196.6 million downloads.
TikTok’s popularity on mobile platforms is massive, especially among younger demographics. The app makes it easy for users to create and share short videos using their mobile devices. Key features like powerful editing tools, special effects, and the signature TikTok scrolling video feed have helped fuel its rise. TikTok’s content recommendation algorithm is also highly optimized to keep users engaged for long periods of time.
With millions of weekly active users on mobile, TikTok has become one of the top apps and fastest growing social networks in the world. Its focus on smartphones rather than desktop has allowed TikTok to capitalize on mobile video viewing trends and grow its userbase exponentially.
TikTok on Desktop
While there is no official desktop app for TikTok, users can access a web-based version of TikTok through their desktop browser (such as Chrome or Firefox) by going to tiktok.com. This provides access to some of TikTok’s core features without needing to download the mobile app.
However, the web version has limited functionality compared to the mobile app. Key features like posting new videos are not available on the desktop site. According to sources, the web version allows users to view TikTok videos, follow/unfollow accounts, like videos, and access inbox features [1]. But critical publishing and engagement options are disabled.
Essentially, the web version provides a read-only experience optimized for consuming, not creating, TikTok content. While it allows basic access, users cannot utilize the full set of features offered by the mobile TikTok app [2]. So it serves more as a limited backup, rather than a fully-featured alternative.
TikTok on Linux
Currently, there is no official TikTok app available for Linux operating systems like Ubuntu, Debian, or Fedora. TikTok’s mobile apps are only available on Android and iOS devices, while the desktop website is designed for Windows and macOS (Source).
However, Linux users have found some workarounds to access TikTok. The easiest option is to use the TikTok website in a Linux web browser like Firefox or Chrome. This provides access to all of TikTok’s features, but lacks some convenience compared to a native app. Some users also report success running the Android app on Linux using Anbox or WayDroid containerization apps, though compatibility can be hit or miss (Source).
Overall, while there is no native TikTok client for Linux, users have options to access the platform via web browser or Android emulation. However, the experience falls short of dedicated apps on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Many Linux users hope TikTok will develop an official Linux app in the future.
Why No Native Linux App?
One of the main reasons there is currently no native TikTok app for Linux is the smaller user base compared to Windows and Mac. According to this Reddit thread, Linux’s desktop market share is quite small compared to Windows and Mac, which have over 80% combined market share. With a much smaller potential user base on Linux, it makes sense that TikTok would prioritize developing native apps for Windows and Mac first before considering Linux.
As a relatively new social media platform, TikTok is still establishing itself and expanding its user base. Developing apps across multiple platforms requires significant engineering resources. By focusing development on the largest desktop platforms first, TikTok can maximize its reach while efficiently using its resources. Once the Windows and Mac apps are well-established, TikTok may consider developing a native Linux app to expand its desktop user base even further.
For now, TikTok’s priority is gaining users on major mobile platforms like iOS and Android. But over time, if Linux desktop market share grows, or there is enough demand from Linux users, TikTok may find it worthwhile to develop a dedicated Linux app.
Alternatives on Linux
Since there is no official TikTok app available natively for Linux, users have to rely on alternative apps. Some of the most popular TikTok alternatives on Linux include:
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Triller – This app provides similar short-form video creation and sharing. Triller is available to install on Linux via Flatpak. Source: https://www.imyfone.com/make-video/tiktok-competitors/
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Firework – Firework has a similar concept to TikTok, allowing short videos and “react” videos. There is no native Firework for Linux, but it can be accessed via web browser. Source: https://lemmy.eus/post/7309
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Dubsmash – Dubsmash focuses on lip-syncing and comedy videos. The Android app can run on Linux using Anbox. Source: https://www.geeksmint.com/tik-tok-alternatives/
While these alternatives provide similar short-form video features, none have yet matched the scale and network effects of TikTok itself. Many Linux users still prefer accessing TikTok via the web or running the mobile app via emulator.
Advantages of Linux Version
Several key benefits exist for having a native TikTok app on Linux, highlighting Linux users’ desire to access the platform’s full features. The most significant advantage would be the ability to tap into TikTok’s massive and growing global community. As of 2022, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users [1], making it one of the largest social media platforms in the world. A Linux TikTok app would allow users to seamlessly connect with this community and participate in trending challenges, viral sounds, duets, and more. This level of access helps content creators reach new audiences and gives users a convenient way to enjoy the app’s entertainment value. Ultimately, having TikTok directly available on Linux would integrate Linux users into the platform’s culture and content, fulfilling demand for the app within the Linux community.
Disadvantages of No Linux App
One of the biggest drawbacks of not having a native TikTok app for Linux is the limited functionality in the web version. According to https://metricool.com/tiktok-online-without-downloading/, the TikTok web version lacks some key features like uploading videos, live streaming, and using effects and filters. This restricts the experience for Linux users who want to actively engage and create content on the platform.
Without a native app, Linux users have to resort to workarounds like running TikTok through emulators or virtual machines. This introduces extra complexity compared to just installing an app from the repository or app store. The additional steps could hamper adoption among less tech-savvy Linux users.
Lastly, the lack of a Linux app means missing out on some TikTok features entirely. As the platform frequently rolls out new functionality and optimizations in its mobile apps, Linux users are left behind. This could make the overall experience feel outdated or disconnected from the core TikTok community.
The Future of TikTok on Linux
While there is currently no official TikTok application available for Linux, the future looks promising for a potential native TikTok app on Linux distributions. The Linux community has been increasingly vocal about wanting TikTok to develop a Linux app, as seen on forums like Reddit. As TikTok’s popularity continues to grow globally, building a Linux app would allow TikTok to expand its reach to the many Linux users worldwide.
Members of the Linux community point out that developing a native Linux app would enable full functionality compared to the current web or Android workarounds. They also argue that a desktop Linux app would provide a better experience for content creators producing high-quality videos. With developer tools readily available and Linux’s customizability, TikTok may find it beneficial to invest in a tailored desktop experience.
While TikTok has not officially commented on their plans for Linux, the advocacy from Linux users shows it is an increasingly important platform to support. If momentum continues to build, TikTok may decide the effort is warranted to create a native Linux app and tap into the desktop Linux market.
