Rivals are beginning to cash in on TikTok’s uncertain future in the United States. Another video app called Triller has soared to the top of the app store charts in dozens of countries — following a chaotic weekend which was capped off by Microsoft confirming it’s pursuing a TikTok acquisition.
In addition to securing the pole position on the iOS app store and Android’s Google Play Store, Triller said downloads for its video app have grown by 20 times in the last week alone, totaling to about 250 million across the world. It now sits above popular services such as Snapchat and TikTok itself in a number of countries such as the United States, India, France, and more.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled for this recognition and are excited to be embraced with such diversity. It aligns with our guiding principle: Triller — where you do you,” Triller’s CEO, Mike Lu said in a statement.
Triller, which had 50 million monthly active users as of July 2, has been around for years, but as TikTok’s future hangs in the balance, the video app has hosted an astronomical growth worldwide. The U.S.-based company has also actively released new features and secured content exclusive deals with celebrities such as the forthcoming Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. boxing match.
On Saturday, August 1, it rolled out a range of new camera editing tools likely to serve the surge of TikTok users scouting for alternatives. On top of that, Triller has a baked-in monetization system already and recently acquired an app called Halogen to offer live streaming. In addition, the app hosts several high-profile celebrities including Chance the Rapper, Alicia Keys, Cardi B, and more.
What’s more, last week, Triller sued TikTok and its parent company, Bytedance, for patent infringement. The filing alleged that TikTok’s feature where it allows users to stitch together multiple videos while using the same audio track infringes on a patent that was granted to Triller co-founders David Leiberman and Samuel Rubin three years ago.
Triller isn’t the only alone capitalizing on the opportunity. Byte, another U.S.-based video app built by Vine’s co-founder has seen a wave of new users in the last couple of days too, and is now closely contesting with Triller for the No. 1 spot on the iOS and Android app stores.
At the moment, TikTok appears to have escaped a complete ban from the United States, and its U.S. business is expected to be acquired by Microsoft in the next few weeks.
