The analytics firm, Sensor Tower, has revealed that the social media app, TikTok, has clocked more than 1.5 billion downloads across the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. This year, it has been downloaded 614 million times, up 6% year-on-year.
In terms of its position in the rankings, Sensor Tower estimates that it sits in third place which is pretty remarkable when we look at the surrounding apps. In first and second place is WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, while in fourth and fifth place is Facebook and Instagram. What it seems to be suggesting is that Facebook’s seemingly impenetrable grip on the social media landscape is finally starting to weaken somewhat.
In terms of where user numbers are coming from, India and China occupy the top spots. During this year alone, users in India generated 277.6 million downloads which represents 45% of the global installs. Meanwhile, it has been downloaded 45.5 million times in China which represents 7.4% of the global installs. Regarding the number of installs in China, things are a bit unclear; Sensor Tower’s data doesn’t take into account third-party app stores but a huge number of people rely on these stores within the country.
During its entire existence, it’s estimated that TikTok has earned $175 million worldwide via the App Store and Google Play Store. This revenue has largely come from China (48.3%), with the U.S. (35.7%), and the U.K. (3.9%) coming in second and third position. A massive $115.3 million of the $175 million was earned this year alone.