What is TikTok? 

TikTok is a social video app that allows users to share brief clips that include lip-syncing, dance, comedy and talent videos. They are normally around 15 seconds long as well as looping videos, which are typically last between three and 60 seconds.  

Filming short lip-sync videos is popular and many songs go viral on the platform, including those both past and present. 

TikTok dances, which are performed facing the camera and normally feature set routines, have become an intrinsic part of the app. The videos can be speeded up, slowed down and feature visual effects and filters that create creative and innovative video clips. 

In this way, TikTok videos have a signature style unique to the app that is loved by people from all walks of life. This way of connecting has defined an era due to its sheer popularity and social impact. 

The app is designed so that users can swipe upwards to watch the next video. It is possible for TikTok users to watch videos from profiles they are following and those who are on a "For You" page: a feed of videos that are recommended to users based on their app activity. 

The social-networking service is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based Internet technology company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming.

The company first launched Douyin, which was aimed at the Chinese market in September 2016. In 2017, TikTok's parent company spent $1 billion and bought the musical.ly social media service, known for its lip-sync and comedy videos. 

TikTok is known for viral trends, such as the Gummy Bear Crowd singing to Adele's Someone Like You and the #celeblookalike challenge, in which users are told which famous person they resemble and then they recreate pictures of said person. There is no one set format for TikTok videos and the possibilities are endless as to what could next go viral and take over social media.

The app has been downloaded more than 80 million times in the U.S. and two billion times worldwide. In the first quarter of 2020, TikTok was downloaded 315 million times, which is the best quarter by any app, ever. 

Why is TikTok so popular? 

What better way to understand exactly why TikTok is popular than from a TikTok star. 

Bobby Moore, 17, lives in the UK. He has 5.2 million followers on his TikTok page and posts informative yet entertaining videos about subjects ranging from "Late Night Thinking" to "What happens if you drink only water for 20 days," which has amassed 12.4 million views. 

"One of the best things about TikTok is that it lets anyone create, from eight-year-olds expressing themselves through dance to 50-year-olds pulling pranks on their partners," says Moore, adding that this creative environment boosts the confidence and happiness of all who use it.

Moore also says TikTok is a platform that allows people to stay connected. 

"You can make funny videos with your friends and family, laugh at videos together and even share videos with people who may not even live close to you," he explains, adding that this really helps to keep relationships strong. 

The app also has an educational and informative side, and the TikTok star explains that this means "you can learn about absolutely anything" due to the sheer number of accounts posting so much every moment of every day across the world. 

"Whether you want to know what would happen if a whale swallowed you or how to survive a tsunami, the chances are, there's probably a video posted about it." 

TikTok has also been more popular than ever throughout the coronavirus lockdown. As the way that people communicate and interact is changing at lightning speed, Moore says this is also a reason why he and others are so fond of the platform.

"With so many of us built up with stress and also the addition of lockdown, which has negatively affected the mental health of many people, TikTok is a place to go where you can relax and laugh."

Bobby Moore can be found at @bobbymoore44 on TikTok. 

Read more: 

A guide: TikTok considering London for its global headquarters

Video editor: Pedro Duarte