With a lot of people stuck indoors during lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, social and video streaming apps have seen a surge in usage. Now, popular short-format video platform TikTok has surpassed one billion installs on the Google Play Store. Currently, the app ranks number three in the ‘Top Free’ category in India, behind Zoom and the government’s Aarogya Setu app at the top position. The surge in installs could also be related to the fact that since many people are now spending time at home, everyone’s looking for different ways to pass the time and be entertained.
TikTok’s surge in install base isn’t completely surprising. Only in January, it became the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the US. However, with more people using video streaming apps than ever, it’s also putting a strain on the Internet’s bandwidth. TikTok, among others, has decided to lower the streaming resolution on its platform in order to ease up the congestion.
The company has also recently come forth to donate around Rs. 100 crores worth of medical equipment for doctors and medical staff in India. India, like may other countries, is currently in a lockdown phase in an attempt to thwart the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s apps like these that are currently helping provide some relief to an otherwise bleak situation.
TikTok’s rise in popularity, especially around this time, hasn’t gone unnoticed. YouTube is reportedly working on its own version of a short-format video platform to compete with TikTok, and is slated to launch by the end of 2020. Reportedly called ‘Shorts,’ it is said that it would be an added feature and would be accessible though the mobile app.