TikTok became particularly popular worldwide around 2019 and 2020. The merger with Musical.ly in 2018 laid the foundation for its international growth. During the coronavirus pandemic, the app became much more visible. So there is no fixed day on which TikTok broke through: the app’s launch is different from the moment you started seeing it everywhere.
Below, you can read how that growth unfolded and what can be said about the Netherlands and Belgium.
When did TikTok become popular worldwide?
The global breakthrough happened in stages. This timeline shows how the 2018 merger, the growth around 2019 and 2020, and the milestone in 2021 followed one another.
| Period | What happened? |
|---|---|
| 2018 | TikTok and Musical.ly merge. This is an important turning point. |
| 2019 and 2020 | TikTok breaks through widely. The coronavirus pandemic may have accelerated that growth. |
| 2021 | TikTok reports a milestone showing how large the app has become worldwide. |
On 27 September 2021, TikTok reported in the billion milestone announcement that more than 1 billion people used the app each month.
That figure refers to people worldwide during that period. It does not mean they all watched daily, posted videos themselves or were active at the same time. Nor is it a user count for today.
What role did Musical.ly play in TikTok’s breakthrough?
Musical.ly played an important role in TikTok’s growth. On 2 August 2018, TikTok reported in the announcement of the merger with Musical.ly that both apps merged under the name TikTok.
That is why 2018 is a turning point, but not the date on which TikTok became popular. The merger has a fixed date. Awareness grows step by step, and not in every country or friendship group at the same time.
Would you like to know more about that transition? Read when Musical.ly became TikTok.
When did TikTok become popular in the Netherlands?
For the Netherlands, no exact breakthrough year can be identified without Dutch usage figures over several years. Global growth around 2019 and 2020 provides context, but does not show when TikTok became widely known in the Netherlands.
It also matters what you mean by popular. Are you looking at young people who used the app, all users or how many people knew the name? Those moments do not necessarily coincide.
Suppose you discovered TikTok through friends during the first lockdown. Then 2020 feels like the beginning for you. That says when you became familiar with the app, not when the first people in the Netherlands used it.
When did TikTok become popular in Belgium?
For Belgium too, stating one precise year would be too definite. To determine Belgium’s breakthrough, you need Belgian usage figures. The global timeline or Dutch figures do not provide a precise answer.
When looking at figures, pay attention to who was counted. For example, a study of Flemish teenagers does not tell you how many people across Belgium use TikTok. The number of downloads is also different from the number of people who continue to use the app.
Do you need a date for a presentation or school assignment? Use the international timeline and say that it covers the world. So do not call a global milestone a Belgian milestone.
Why did TikTok become so popular during the coronavirus pandemic?
The coronavirus pandemic may have accelerated TikTok’s growth. The app did not begin then: the foundation for its international growth was already in place before the lockdowns.
One possible explanation is that short videos suited spending a lot of time at home. You could watch a clip, forward it or make your own version. For example, think of a dance in the living room or a short clip about exercising at home.
These features help explain why such videos can spread easily:
- Short viewing: you can watch a video in between other activities.
- Instantly recognisable: an everyday situation needs little explanation.
- Join in yourself: you can use an idea for your own version.
These are possible explanations. They do not show exactly how much growth the coronavirus pandemic caused. Read more about the appeal in why TikTok is popular with users.
What does TikTok’s popularity say about your own videos?
A popular app does not automatically make your own account popular. The global number of users does not say how many people will watch your next video.
Want to post something yourself? Choose one recognisable moment that you can show without a long explanation. For example, film yourself repotting a plant as an exercise and show the result at the end. Then ask someone whether they immediately understand what you are showing. This helps you work on a clear video without knowing in advance how many people will watch it.
When TikTok became big is a different question from why people like to keep watching. Read more about that second question in what makes TikTok so popular. If you also publish your own content, our TikTok services includes packages for followers and likes. The product pages show the available quantities and prices.
