TikTok Was Downloaded More Than Instagram In 2018

Sensor Tower reports that TikTok, a short-form video app from China, has hit its most important milestone after being downloaded one billion times on both iOS and Android.

The one billion figure actually didn’t include Android installs in China. So the real number is probably going to be higher.

From the total one billion installs of the app, about 663 million was from 2018. This means it was downloaded more than Instagram last year. In 2018, users downloaded the photos and videos sharing app 444 million times.

For 2018, TikTok earned the fourth place in the list of most downloaded non-game app, just behind Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.

This app is extremely popular among pre-teens and children. And it seems like it is soaring in the Indian market. In Jan 2019, Indian users made up 49% of its new users, compared to 39.5 % in Jan 2018.

The app has undergone a rapid growth as in Sept 2018; it surpassed Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook in total downloads.

Initially, TikTok comprised of two separate apps: Musical.ly and TikTok. In 2017, Bytedance, a Chinese tech company spent $1 billion on the acquiring of Musical.ly. Later in Aug 2018, it decided to shut down Musical.ly and merge it with TikTok.

After that, it has developed into a video app which has been compared to the terminated-app Vine.

On Wednesday, the short-form video app set up a new safety feature which allows users to filter their comment sections by deleting some certain keywords. Also, educational videos on safety were released on the app.

These videos inform new users on online safety, various privacy settings, as well as other controls that they can use.

The safety series, which is named “You’re in Control” will have TikTok users as the main stars. Effects, editing tricks, and popular memes were also used.

The videos focus on well-being, safety, privacy settings, and other policies including Community Guidelines, in-app reporting, and many more.