How to create an app like TikTok: Ultimate Guide

In just five years, TikTok has gone from having no users to having more than a billion. In 2021, 656 million people downloaded TikTok every year, making it the most downloaded app. TikTok is an app for sharing videos on social networks. Users can stream live broadcasts, record short video clips, add their favorite songs, and share the results. 

Alex Zhu came up with the idea for TikTok when he saw that teenagers used different apps to listen to music, take selfies, short record videos, and share them with friends. Many businesses are thinking about how to create an app from scratch like TikTok because of how popular it is. 

Wouldn’t it be great to make another app as popular as this one? This article will show you how to build and grow the best TikTok alternatives. 

How does Tik Tok work? 

The most basic thing you can do with TikTok is upload a video, but there are a few other basic and important steps that show how it works. 

• Users can make music videos with TikTok. The app has many music and dialogue tracks from which you can choose the one you want. 
• Users can use different tools to make their video stand out, from funny stickers to controlling the speed at which the video plays. 
• Users can use different tools to make their video stand out, from funny stickers to controlling the speed at which the video plays. 

TikTok also has tools for making and editing videos. User-created videos can take advantage of a variety of pre-made music tracks, sound effects, filter options, and sound bites. They can also “duet” with someone by replying to a video and making a split-screen with many reactions. 

How To Make an App Like TikTok? 

When making an app like TikTok, it is important to consider the most prominent features. Most of the time, it is best to start by making an MVP (an application with some basic features) and then add new and more complex features. We looked at the features of TikTok and put them into two groups: basic and advanced. The information is listed below. 

TikTok’s Main Functions 

Creating a copy of TikTok might take a long time and cost a lot of money. But you can make an app with some simple features and put it on the market. With the MVP version of the app, you can get feedback from the people you want to use it and decide what features to build on. Also, if you can figure out how to make a Minimum Viable Product, you have a better chance of getting money from investors. When your product works, people will trust you. 

• Video Uploading: Users can easily upload videos, give them a name, and add tags and short descriptions. At the moment, videos can only be 60 seconds long. Anyone can post as many videos as they want. 

• Video editing: TikTok lets you crop, rotate, speed up, add effects, stickers, animations, and masks, and crop, rotate, and speed up videos. 
• Live broadcast: Premium accounts are the only ones that let users make live streams for their subscribers. 
• Music collection: Users can choose music from a large library to put on their short videos. With the help of TikTok, some songs get a lot of attention. 
• Duets: Users can show up on the same screen as anyone else. It could be a friend, a relative, a famous person, or just a random person. 
• Hashtags: You can use them to move through the video’s content. Or they can be problems to solve. “Say So” Dance, Flour Challenge, Blinding Lights Challenge, and Clothes Swap Challenge are some of the best challenges. Brands use challenges to build a community and raise awareness of their products. 

• Comments and Likes: Like any other social network, TikTok allows its users to talk to each other. Subscribers can leave comments and likes for people who make videos.  
• Sharing with others: TikTok videos can be shared on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Integration with Instagram is one of the best things about it. 
• Push Notifications: When the latest videos are added to interest their accounts, subscribers can get a message. People who make videos are also told about social activity in their posts. 

Exciting Things to Add in the Future 

It is enough to have just the most basic features to get an app up and to run. But the more people you get to use your app, the more advanced and unique features it should have. Here are some advanced TikTok features that you can add to your app if you decide to start making one. 

• Video preview without signing up: Before signing up, you can look at some popular videos on TikTok. So, inexperienced users can now look at the content. But you must sign up to comment or like. 
• Content-based on location: You can think about adding one more advanced feature if you want to make an app like TikTok. With this feature, the device can be found. Based on this information, the app shows content posted by other users in the same place. Users can also add where they are right now to the video. 
• Analytics in real time: With this function, you can look at the graph to see who is watching and broadcasting live. It also shows how many comments and hearts have been given. 

• Live video streaming: It is something that TikTok no longer has. The ability to start a live video, on the other hand, is something that social video apps want. 

Team Required to Develop an App like Tik Tok 

To make an app like TikTok, you need a team of people who know how to make apps. You must hire:  

• Project manager: The project manager’s main job is to ensure the app development is done by the due date. It requires tracking how the developers, designers, and Q&A expert’s teamwork. 

• iOS or Android App Developers: You’ll need more than one developer with different skills for the project. Don’t think you can hire app developer to make an app for you. Keeping Android, a top priority since almost 90% of TikTok downloads are for Android devices. 
• UI/UX Designer: If you want your app to give users an enjoyable experience, you need a designer. The designer will make a layout for your app that includes menus, navigation, tabs, features, etc. 
• Q&A Manager: Before putting your app on the market, you need a technical expert to test it to ensure it works perfectly. Before you put your app on the market, developers should fix any bugs or mistakes in how it works. 
• Marketing Expert: Making an app is easy, but getting people to use it is an art. After the app is released, both online and offline marketing should happen. A quick tip: let people know about your app before it comes out. 

You should also consider adding a business consultant, a brand manager, an ASO (App Store Optimization) expert, and content creators to your team. 

There are two main ways to work with IT (Information Technology) experts: hire an in-house team or use a company that outsources. Each choice has both pros and cons. For example, it’s easier to talk to developers who work in-house, but there are a lot of extra costs, like rent, equipment, etc. On the other hand, outsourcing companies offer hourly rates that are not too expensive and high-quality work. Also, IT outsourcing gives you access to many skilled specialists from all over the world. You can look at different professionals and choose the one with the skills and knowledge you need. 

Tik-Tok App Technologies 

An app like TikTok can be made with the help of a lot of modern technologies. For native mobile development, you must choose between Swift (iOS) and Kotlin, both programming languages (Android). Also, software engineers can use Flutter app development services if you choose cross-platform development. 

iOS app 

• Programming language: Swift  
• Networking: Alamofire 

Android app

• Programming Language: Kotlin  
• Networking: OkHttp  
• Back-end development: Node.js  
• Framework: Express  
• Database: MongoDB, SQL, MySQL  
• Cloud: AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Azure 

Tools: 

• Amazon S3 for storage.  
• Amazon SES and Amazon SNS are used to sign up users.  
• Google Cloud Messaging for Android and Apple Push Notification Service for iOS send alerts. 
• Realtime Analytics: Google Mobile App Analytics and Azure Stream Analytics  
• AR (Augmented Reality) filters: ML (Machine Learning) Kit and ARCore.  
• Geolocation: Google Maps API and MapKit/Core Location frameworks (for iOS).  
• Chat: Twilio  

Tik Tok App Development Process 

1. Market Research: The first step in making the TikTok app is to study the market. Before putting money and time into making a TikTok app, you need to know what people really want. 
2. Coming up with ideas. Find out why people will want to use your app. Find your niche, solve your users’ problems, and offer something different. Make a list of the things your app can do. Before making your app, you can test your idea and concept. Interview people and ask them what they really think. 
3. UI/UX Design: Your app should have an interface that is easy to use and understand. Features, tabs, menus, and other important app parts should be part of the design. 
4. App development: At this stage, you need to create the basic features and functionality and put them together with the design. You do not have to finish your app all the way, just make sure you have made an MVP (minimum viable product). This way, you can have real people try out your app, get feedback, and improve it in the next development steps. 
5. Test with QA Analyst: Before putting out your TikTok app, you should make sure it works well and does not have any bugs or crashes. 
6. App Launch: When the app is ready to release, it should be on app markets. Google Play and AppStore are the most popular places to buy apps. Since Google Play is the most popular app store, it is worth your time to focus on it. Remember that more than half of the people who use TikTok are Indian and use Android phones.  

After the app has been released for the first time, you can go back to the list of features and ideas and add them to the app. The process of making apps never ends. By making an app better, you can get more people to download and use it. 

How Much Does It Cost to Make a TikTok-like Application? 

The cost of creating an app can start at around $60,000+ for the most basic version that works on a single platform. The process takes about three to six months. You’ll have to double the cost if you want to add a second platform. When you add more features, you will also have to pay more money. 

The final cost of making the TikTok app depends on many things: 

• Size and location of the outsourcing company  
• Complexity and functionality of the app 
• Number of APIs and third-party services that are connected  
• Difficulty of the UX/UI design  
• Number of platforms that are being targeted (iOS, Android, or both) 

How to make money with a similar app to TikTok? 

When considering making an app like TikTok that makes money as it does, you can’t ignore that this app is a powerful advertising tool. The ads platform brings in most of the money for TikTok. The company sells about $1.3 billion of ads in the United States. 

Currently, TikTok generates income via three distinct types of advertisements: 

• Cost per Click: CPC (Cost Per Click) means advertisers pay the platform for every click on their ad.  
• Cost per View: CPV means advertisers pay every time their ad is shown on the platform.  
• Cost per Action: CPA (Cost Per Action) means that advertisers only pay when users take a certain action (install an app or purchase something). 
• Fundraiser: TikTok’s first round of funding was around $3 billion. No wonder the company was able to make a complicated app with billions of users. You can start Making money for an app with just an idea, or you can use this revenue model once you have a prototype that works. 

TikTok has more ways to make money than just the ones listed above. The company is working hard to add eCommerce features that will make it even more appealing to online retailers and Direct-to-Consumer companies. 

Conclusion 

If you follow the steps in the above guide, it’s easier than you might think to make a TikTok app. If you take the time to consider what features your target demographic wants, and if you learn about the difficulties and expertise required for development, you’ll be able to establish reasonable goals for the time and money spent. 

Finding the right people to make your video chat app will give you peace of mind because you’ll know they can handle any technical problems. If you have the right vision and technical skills, you can make an app like TikTok that your audience will love.  

JumpGrowth has made a lot of video apps in the past. If you have a great idea for a new project, we can help you make it happen. Contact us if you want to talk to us for free. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: How to make an app like TikTok?

The process of making an app like TikTok will vary depending on the platform and the specific features required. However, some tips on how to make an app like TikTok include developing a user-friendly interface, incorporating popular trends and formats into the app, and finding a reliable developer who can help with the development process.

Q2: How much does it cost to create an app like Tik Tok?

There is no set answer to this question as it can vary depending on the app and the features and features required. However, In General, it will cost between 20000$ – 200000$ cost to create an app like Tik Tok.

Q3: What are the features of Tik Tok app?

• Login & Signup
• Alter profile
• Publish videos
• Effects and filters
• Image editing
• Sharing & Notifications

Advanced capabilities:

• Video sneak peek before registering
• Content Location Based
• Analytics in real-time
• Live streaming video
• AR filters

Q4: What things should I keep in mind when developing a Tik Tok app?

• Consider the target market
• Consider the app’s purpose
• Consider the app’s features
• Consider the app’s design
• Consider the app’s marketing