Chinese short video app Tik Tok saw another 75 million new downloads via App Stores and Google Play Stores worldwide in December, up 275 percent compared with the same month in 2017, according to data from app analytics firm Sensor Tower.
India contributed the most growth as downloads in this country grew from 1.3 million in December 2017 to 32.3 million in December 2018.
Revenues from in-app purchases were also up, increasing to US$6 million, representing a 253% year-on-year growth, according to Sensor Tower.
Tik Tok, owned by Bytedance, currently considered the world’s most valuable startup, is now available in more than 150 countries, which altogether have more than 500 million monthly active users as of mid-January.
Tik Tok has been a rare success case for Chinese tech firms winning users globally. Some attribute this to its content-centered strategy, while some argue that it became so popular simply because it brought fun back to social media with its innovative short-video format.
Editor: Nadine Freischlad