The history of TikTok: From Musical.ly to the number 1 app in the world

TikTok wasn’t always front and center of viral internet culture, but since it merged with Musical.ly the platform has found non-stop success. But where did it all start and what has happened since then?

In recent years, TikTok has become a hub of viral content. From viral dances to bizarre trends, this app has just about everything.

So how did the platform become what we know it as today?

ByteDance launches Douyin

In September 2016, before TikTok came the Chinese app Douyin. The ByteDance owned app was originally named A.me, but a few months later in December, it was renamed.

Within just a year, the app had around 100 million users, and with over a billion videos viewed per day, the venture was certainly a success. This got the company interested in exploring the international market, and TikTok was launched in September 2017.

ByteDance buys Musical.ly

Musical.ly was officially released in August 2014, and had many of the same features TikTok is known for today. Users were able to create short videos lip-syncing to popular songs, interacting with other users via trending sounds and hashtags.

On November 9, 2017, ByteDance spent up to $1 billion US dollars to purchase Mucical.ly, which had offices in both Shanghai and California.

Musical.ly merged with TikTok on August 2, 2018, with existing data and accounts combined to create one app and an overall larger community. The name was kept as ‘TikTok,’ meaning the end of Musical.ly as users knew it.

TikTok hits 1 billion global downloads

According to analytics site Sensor Tower, TikTok hit 1 billion downloads globally in February 2019 (excluding Android downloads from China.) The app was gaining popularity fast in countries like India, which made up over 40% of the total downloads in 2018.

The merger with Musical.ly was proving to be a huge success, and TikTok’s growth showed no signs of slowing down.

India bans TikTok

On June 29, 2020, TikTok was completely banned in India along with 223 other Chinese apps. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology claimed the app was “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order.”

Creator Fund is launched

While TikTok creators were always able to make money via brand deals and other endeavors, there originally lacked a direct way to make money from video views.

That changed when they launched the Creator Fund of $200 million in July 2020, which was designed as a way to support growing creators on the app monetarily. Shortly after announcing it, the fund was then predicted to grow to $1 billion in the US over the next years and double that across the globe.

Donald Trump tries to ban TikTok

In one of the biggest controversies since the app began, former US President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok transactions within the country. He signed an executive order on August 6, 2020, which dictated that transactions would be banned if the app wasn’t sold by Bytedance within 45 days.

TikTok sues Trump administration

In retaliation, TikTok filed a lawsuit against Trump on September 18, requesting a preliminary injunction that would stop the app from being banned. Judge Carl J. Nichols then blocked the order that would prevent TikTok from being downloaded in the US.

He also later issued a preliminary injunction against the Commerce Department which meant they were no longer allowed to impose restrictions on the app.

The situation caused a huge stir at the time, with many wondering whether this truly would be the end of TikTok, despite its insane popularity. Many popular creators were already looking at alternative apps to move their platform to in the case that TikTok actually be banned in the US.

Even creators based outside of the US were concerned at the potential ban, as the country makes up a large portion of the userbase.

Charli D’Amelio becomes first account to hit 100 million followers

Then 16-year-old Charli D’Amelio made history when she became the first account on TikTok to surpass 100 million followers in November 2020, beating even TikTok’s own account.

The star became popular by posting clips of her recreating famous TikTok dances and lip-syncing to viral songs, quickly garnering a huge fan base.

Since becoming well known on the app, the dancer has gone on to launch a podcast with older sister Dixie, get her own drink at Dunkin’ Donuts, and collaborate with a huge range of brands — even launching their own custom-designed mattress.

Pakistan bans TikTok

Pakistan previously banned TikTok back in October 2020 over ‘indecent content. But on October 19, ten days after the ban was originally put in place, it was reversed.

However, this decision didn’t last long, as on March 11, 2021, the country blocked the app again following similar complaints of indecent content.

Biden revokes Trump’s order to ban TikTok

In June 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to revoke the Trump-era bans on TikTok and WeChat. In place of the Trump order, Biden will direct the commerce secretary to investigate apps with ties to foreign adversaries that may pose a risk to American data privacy or national security.

Biden revokes

Biden revokes

TikTok hits one billion users

Despite multiple attempts to ban the app across the world, in September 2021, the platform hit one billion monthly users – years earlier than Facebook and Instagram reached that milestone.

The service reported a surge in users over the past few years, with a large amount of its audience joining during the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Biden signs bill to ban TikTok in the USA

On April 24, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill that requires ByteDance to divest its US TikTok operations, selling it to a non-adversarial company. If they have a pending sale when that nine-month timer runs out, the US will provide ByteDance with a three-month extension.

TikTok owner threatens Biden with lawsuit

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew quickly issued a statement after Biden signed the bill into law, further revealing that they plan on fighting the decision in the courts immediately.

“Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok, a ban on you, and a ban on your voice,” he said. “Many who sponsored the bill admit a TikTok ban is their ultimate goal.”

“Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident, and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts.”

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With TikTok constantly growing in popularity, and its stars becoming more involved in mainstream media, it looks like the platform will only continue to evolve in the coming years.