TikTok claims the app now tops one billion monthly active users

TikTok originally drew a fanbase for lip-syncing music videos, soundtracked by snippets of songs. The app has expanded to other categories and added other features, like expanding the maximum length of a video to three minutes from 60 seconds, and the ability to share sound clips with other users. — AP

LOS ANGELES: TikTok says it has crossed a major milestone: The social video app claims it now counts more than one billion monthly active users.

TikTok is the successor to Musical.ly, the short-form video app that was acquired by Chinese Internet giant ByteDance in 2017, which then migrated those users over to the TikTok platform in 2018. The tremendous popularity of TikTok, especially among teens and young adults, has inspired copycat features from YouTube (with YouTube Shorts) and Instagram (Instagram Reels).