Have you ever mimicked an intense scene form your favorite song on TikTok? Most people may have done that. This enthralling music app has been downloaded almost 1.5 billion times globally. It has been growing into an entertainment trend. Last year TikTok had about 500 million monthly active users, this overwhelming number keeps on rising. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it is the most actively expanding cultural phenomena and it is more popular than Facebook with a young demographic. TikTok gives its audience some crisp bits of entertaining content and features which compel its users to spend hours watching or creating content.
The unanticipated and spectacular accomplishment of TikTok has not only been Piquing curiosity, but it has also been cashing in on a market opportunity that most Silicon Valley companies haven’t successfully been able to get their hands on.
Now, this opens up a room for further discussion. As most people are interested in cribbing the features of this app, we will analyze the basic and additional features along with a tech stack to create an app like to TikTok.
How does TikTok work?
It is a fact that TikTok is a music and video platform is not hidden from any smartphone user; however, the main catch to it is a good amount of editing features, filters and effects which intrigue the user. All that they have to do is to add some breezy music and transitions for creating, uploading and sharing captivating videos. This twist to video creation is what makes TikTok a perfect platform for people who want to display the talent and share knowledge with an extensive viewer base.
How to create an app like TikTok?
For developing an application that is comparable to TikTok it is essential to consider all the important characteristics and features. The most sensible approach here would be to start with an MVP (minimum viable product) i.e. an application with some basic features, where advanced functionalities can be integrated after prototype testing.
Creating a TikTok clone will not only be time-consuming it will also be expensive. However, if you want to take an initiative then you can start by developing an app with some basic features. Launch your app and collect feedback from your targeted audience. It will allow you to decide what features to develop further.
The main features that TikTok provides can be divided in two categories—basic and advanced. Which are listed as following:
Basic Features:
Listed below are the MVP features for an app like TikTok.
- Signup and login:
This is perhaps the most important feature that most apps need. A user will have to sign up for uploading and posting content. Providing more than one signup options usually works better.
- Profile editing:
Profile customization is also a feature that you should not overlook. Your user should be able to edit, upload, and change their profile picture or username. They should also be allowed to add a bio, giving more customization options is always a good idea.
- Upload content:
If you want to make your TikTok clone successful then you need to provide your users with a fast and easy method for posting content. It would be great if you also consider adding sharing options.
- Effects and filters:
TikTok provides its users with many filters and effects to add to a simple video. So adding this feature to your clone app is an absolute must. This addition of unique filters will most likely allow you to entice more users.
- Video editing:
Your user should be able to edit videos on the app easily. You can add some basic features like speeding up, flipping, adding text to a video, adding music or doing a voiceover, adjusting the volume or cutting sound. Lastly adding beauty filters will take it on another level.
- Comments and hearts:
This feature that TikTok has is quite similar to that of Instagram. TikTok provides an opportunity to its users to like and comment on videos and you should do also add these features to your app. giving a separate tab for liked videos will allow you to make your app more likeable.
- Sharing:
For gaining more users it is best to provide sharing options. Allow your users to share their creations on other social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. TikTok also offers to connect their user profile to other social networks. You should think about adding this feature to your clone app.
- Notification:
Notifications are important, users need to know about all the comments, likes and shares on their video. You need to add this feature to your app design, you can implement this via Apple Push Notification services (iOS) or Google Cloud Messaging (Android).
- Security Section:
This is probably the most important feature that you must add to an app like TikTok. You should incorporate multiple functions for maintaining user security and managing data. Think about adding user management features to edit sharing options, delete content and blocking a user.
Advanced Features:
The basic features are enough for you to launch your app. however, if you are looking for an app that stands on the same level as TikTok then you will have to go an extra mile. The more users you gain the more unique and advanced features you will have to add to appeal to a wider range of an audience. Some of TikTok’s advanced features are mentioned as following:
- Video Preview before registration:
TikTok allows people to look through popular videos before signing up. As most viral content is usually eye-catching and intriguing, it attracts new users. However, for commenting and liking a video one has to sign up.
- Location-Based content:
This is one of the most advanced features that you must consider adding to your clone app. TikTok locates the device, which means that the content posted is filtered according to the user’s location. Furthermore, a user can add his or her current whereabouts to the video.
- Real-time Analytics:
This feature allows users to see live spectators and broadcasters on the graph, it also allows people to monitor the number of hearts and comments.
- Live streaming:
This feature can be added for making an app like TikTok more interesting and appealing. Live streams are in demand and TikTok does not have this feature as yet so you can use this opportunity for making improvements to your app design.
- AR Filters:
Augmented reality filters like the ones you find on snapchat are very popular these days. It would be a great idea to add such features to your basic app design for making it more interesting. Think about developing your own AR feature library.
Wrapping Up:
There are several interesting features that you add to an app like TikTok. However, it would be better for you to start with the creation of an MVP. Then you can work on gradually embedding complex features in your app framework.