TikTok will have more than one billion users in 2021, according to analytics firm App Annie.
The firm led its annual list of predictions with the shortform video app, saying that based on TikTok’s growth trajectory, it will hit 1.2 billion monthly active users on iOS and Android by the end of next year.
“TikTok has seen sharp growth in active users by amassing a sizeable global footprint in 2020—nearly tripling in size since 2018,” the firm wrote in its report. “In 2021, we expect TikTok to not only achieve a coveted spot in the 1 billion monthly active users club, but to sail straight past to 1.2 billion.”
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Other apps in the “club” including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger, App Annie said.
Of course, it’s impossible to look at predictions for TikTok without noting that its Trump administration-set deadline to find a new owner is tomorrow, and as far as we know, it hasn’t signed a deal with Oracle or another new parent. Being banned in the U.S. would certainly affect expected gains in active users, but considering the Trump administration (a) seems a little preoccupied currently, and (b) is about to not be a thing anymore, TikTok might see the deadline come and go without any official action taken to remove it from app stores. Incoming president Joe Biden hasn’t commented on whether his administration will also pressure ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations.
App Annie also highlighted TikTok as the No. 2 non-gaming app globally when it comes to amount of money users spend through in-app purchases each money. This is unique, it explains: “Many of the most used social media apps don’t break into the top consumer spend charts, as they primarily monetize from ad revenue.”
It points to Coins, TikTok’s virtual tipping currency, as the driver of users’ unusual spend. Other video platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook also have virtual currencies that are awarded to streamers in real-time, too, but App Annie indicates the larger amount TikTok users spend on Coins by comparison is “a testament to the breadth and depth of engagement for its user base.”
