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FORTUNE.COM // JULY 2019
TECH
DURING LUNCHTIME AT middle schools
across the U.S., adolescents stare
at 15- to 60-second clips of their friends
lip- synching to Beyoncé on the video-sharing
app TikTok. At home, it’s more of the same:
Tap on TikTok, scroll through a feed of clips
featuring shimmies to Shakira or skateboard
stunts, and then pick one to watch.
Even in the annals of viral apps, TikTok is a
standout. Since debuting two years ago, it has
been downloaded 950 million times—mostly
by teens seeking snippets of entertainment or
looking to share their own rapping, dancing,
or magic skills with the world.
TikTok is so popular in fact that, by one
measure, it ranks among a who’s who of tech.
During the first three months of this year, it
was the third most downloaded app worldwide,
ahead of Facebook and Instagram, and just
behind WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger,
according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower.
“TikTok’s all about these scrappy viral videos
shot with no budget and low production,” says
Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sen-
TIKTOK IS ON A TEAR
The video-sharing app has gained a massive
following of young users. The challenge
will be to turn that popularity into a money-
making business. By Eamon Barrett
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MAX-O-MATIC
ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS: JOE SCARNICI
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