TikTok launches ‘Jumps’ for plugging in third-party apps and services

TikTok Jumps are compatible with HTML5 and have ‘minimal’ technical integration requirements, Kim wrote. — AP

LOS ANGELES: TikTok is now letting users share info and services through third-party partners – which also gives the short-form video app another revenue stream.

The app company, owned by Chinese Internet giant ByteDance, on Monday announced TikTok Jump, a program that lets developers create mini-programs and services for TikTok users to link to from their videos. During the beta-testing period for TikTok Jump, early partners have included Wikipedia, Whisk (recipes), Breathwrk (breathing exercises), Quizlet (flashcards), StatMuse (sports stats) and Tabelog (Japanese restaurant guide).

TikTok said additional partners will be launching Jumps in the next few weeks, including BuzzFeed, Jumprope (tutorials), IRL (event invitations) and Watcha (streaming platform/movie reviews).

“TikTok has become a destination both to be entertained and to learn,” Sean Kim, TikTok US head of product, wrote in a blog post announcing the new feature. With Jumps, “we’re creating that ‘last mile’ of our community's discovery journey and helping to spark action and deeper interaction both on and off the platform”.

TikTok is now opening Jump to new providers, with additional info and applications available at tiktok.com/jump.

TikTok Jumps are compatible with HTML5 and have “minimal” technical integration requirements, Kim wrote. “The use cases for TikTok Jumps are almost limitless, and we look forward to working with selected providers to build innovative Jumps that help fuel the instructive and entertaining content our community craves,” he wrote.

In 2020, TikTok parent ByteDance’s revenue rose 111%, to US$34.3bil (RM142.43bil) and gross profit increased 93% to US$19bil (RM78.89bil), the Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing an internal company memo. – Variety/Reuters