How to Make an App Like TikTok?

By Snigdha | Last Updated on September 11th, 2024 7:11 am | 5-min read

TikTok – the short-form video-sharing app, has become a viral phenomenon. With over a billion active monthly users, TikTok ranked 3rd among all the social media apps in 2024. According to reports, the app was downloaded by 117.7 million users in Q2 2024. Today, TikTok is the most engaging social media app, with an average session lasting more than 10 minutes!

As a business owner, this engagement rate is very lucrative and holds potential. This is why entrepreneurial individuals are planning to make a social media app like TikTok. Yes, it might sound a little intimidating to make a social media app from scratch, but with Appy Pie’s no-code platform, it is easy to make a social media app of your own!

Make your own social media app!

What is the TikTok app?

TikTok is a video-sharing social media app where users can stream broadcasts, make short-form video clips, jokes, memes, dances, etc., add music, and share it across the world. The basic idea behind the app was to combine music, video, and social networks.

Did you know you can build video-sharing apps like TikTok without any coding?

Create a TikTok like app!

What makes TikTok popular?

Let’s break down the reasons why TikTok is so popular among businesses and individuals alike:

Short video format
The average person on the internet has an unbelievably short attention span, so the original 15-second time limit on the videos served the purpose fabulously well.
Young audience
About half of the users on the platform are under 25. This is the age group that is practically glued to the phone.
Easy monetization
The video content creators on the platform can make money by launching contests, selling ads, or receiving gifts on a live stream.
Celebrity users
Loads of celebrity users, especially those who are popular among the younger generation, use TikTok to release exclusive videos, run challenges, and interact directly with their fans.

Top features you must add to a video-making app like TikTok

The wildly popular video-sharing app TikTok has some really lucrative features that make it such a hit among its users.

News Feed
TikTok’s news learning algorithm powered by machine learning adapts quickly to each user and shows them highly personalized content. This feature alone is responsible for the users spending a long time on the app.
Recommendations
The complex TikTok algorithms aim to show only that content to users, which will interest them greatly. As per the user’s activity, their likes, shares, watch history, popularity, hashtags, keywords, and more!
Live Streams
This feature is activated once a user gets 1,000 subscribers, opening up a new channel for interacting with their audience. Live streams are great for collecting donations from subscribers in the form of TikTok coins – an in-app currency. This is a nice little incentive for popular content creators on the platform.
Login and Signup
The app users must sign up and log in to their account on the platform to be able to access the app content. This is a basic feature for any social media platform. It is a good idea to offer multiple ways to sign up with the platform.
Video uploads
Since it is a video-sharing platform, the ability of the users to upload and download videos is critical. When you build an app like TikTok, you must ensure that the app users can easily download and upload content quickly and easily while offering them access to additional features like scheduling posts.
Video editing
The ability to edit videos is critical if you are planning to build a video-making app like TikTok. TikTok allows users to edit their videos using basic editing tools and more advanced editing tools like adding text, music, and a number of effects like changing eye color or lip-sync.
Filters
Video editing gets even better with filters and effects. They make the content even more entertaining and can help the content creators deliver their messages while encouraging the audience to be more interactive and share content more frequently.
Sharing
One of the most effective ways for content creators to gain popularity is when the viewers share their content. This means if you want to create an app like TikTok, you must emulate their shareability within and outside of the app. This feature immediately helps expand the user base for your app as the non-users get a glimpse of all the unique content on your platform.
Notifications
Notifications are the perfect way to communicate with your app users while keeping them informed of any new content or updates on the app. You can also inform them about any offers or campaigns that you are running.
Follow, Like, and Comment
The ability to follow other accounts on the platform lets the users see more of the content they like. This, in turn, increases the amount of time they spend on your app. If you are planning to create an app like TikTok, the Follow feature is a must! Additionally, the ability to Like and Comment on TikTok videos has twofold advantages. For the users and creators, it is a great way to interact and provide feedback. For the app owners, it is a great way to analyze user behavior and show more personalized content.
Music Library
The ability to combine music and video content is one of the key reasons why TikTok is truly unique, and if you want to create an app like TikTok, make sure to include this feature. Sometimes using popular music in the videos can help the creators gain millions of views.
Ads
Displaying ads on the app is a great way to earn money, and TikTok has this feature built into it. Here are some of the ways you can use ads on your TikTok-like app to make money:
- Cost per click
- Cost per mile
- Price per action
Stitch
Relatively a new feature, Stitch on TikTok lets you take short snippets of other people’s videos, crop them, and then post them on your account. This is especially popular among TikTok users who do not create any content themselves but can recycle other videos to create new content.
Duets
The feature is similar to Stitch, as it lets you use other people’s content for your posts. The difference, however, is that both the original video is displayed next to your video, and both videos are played at the same time. The split-screen content lets you have an interaction with the other users through content.
Instant Page
A great feature for businesses – an Instant Page is a personal landing page for brands. The word instant is key here as these pages load 11 times faster than the usual web pages. The instant page can act as the landing page for businesses’ ad campaigns.

How to make an app like TikTok?

Now that you know what features should be added to your similar apps like TikTok, it is time to address the question of how to create an app like TikTok.

Yes, there have been many attempts to create apps to make videos like TikTok, but you can make one to beat them all! Here is how to build an app like TikTok without coding using Appy Pie’s no-code social network app builder. It is a user-friendly platform that enables you to create your own social media app like TikTok. It offers customizable templates and various other features to make your app look great.

Learn how to make an app like Tiktok in a few simple steps:

Step 1- Go to Appy Pie’s AI Social Network App Builder homepage and click on “Create Your App Now” to start your app creation process.

Step 2- Create your account if you’re a new user or simply login if you already have one.

Step 3- Once the payment is done, you’ll be redirected to the app maker dashboard. Here, you can personalize your app by adding features such as:

Social Network- Connect users, share content, and build communities. Enable profile creation, following, and personalized feeds for engaging social interactions.
Push Notifications- Keep users engaged with timely alerts. Notify about new followers, trending content, and personalized recommendations to boost app activity.
Chat- Enable real-time messaging between users. Incorporate text, emojis, and media sharing for smooth communication within the app community.

Step 4- When you are done with changes, go back to the app maker dashboard. Go on manage your app and test it on real devices.

Step 5- Once you’re satisfied, click on “Publish your App” and make it accessible to millions of users for download.

By following these steps and with the guidance of Appy Pie’s experts, you can make an app that offers a seamless and personalized experience to your customers.

Make a social network app!