Despite facing competition and privacy concerns, TikTok’s 2020 growth appears to have solidified. It has now emerged as the most popular mobile video platform for the last year.

Data acquired by Finbold indicates that TikTok was the most popular mobile video app in 2020 globally, with 660.12 million downloads. Singapore’s Likee trails TikTok, accounting for 270.3 million downloads, while SnackVideo ranks third with 233.57 million downloads.

Despite strong brand support and longevity, YouTube ranks fourth with 222.7 million downloads, while TikTok Lite ranks fifth with 141.89 million downloads.

Other mobile video apps with significant downloads include Moj (93.87 million downloads), Zili (84.11 million downloads), MX TakaTak (81.7 million downloads), Josh (78.13 million downloads), and Uvideo (74.95 million downloads).

Pandemic impacts TikTok’s growth

TikTok’s growth was accelerated early last year and the report highlights some of the driving factors. According to the research report:

“The app experienced rapid growth in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, especially with the emerging lockdowns. During the lockdown, many people had to stay at home with apps like TikTok keeping people engaged leading to a snowballing effect.”

The app’s growth has also emerged from factors like the ability to offer users an alternative way of sharing content online by creating short videos with music, filters, and other captivating features.

TikTok’s growth has come amid increased challenges ranging from privacy concerns in the United States that saw the app almost get banned. Notably, the app was banned in India, losing a key market.

Furthermore, the app is still facing competition from established platforms like Facebook and Instagram.