TikTok’s road to becoming a super app

TikTok 通往“超级应用”之路

Although TikTok is widely described as a social media giant, it’s been gradually moving beyond that category. Over time, the video app added TikTok Shop, a map for local discovery, robust search, games, and so much more. Now, it has recently added hotel booking capabilities and is pursuing a fintech license. It appears that TikTok is taking steps to evolve into what’s called a “super app,” a single platform where users can do much more than just watch and share videos, and actually handle a wide range of needs in one destination. 尽管 TikTok 被广泛描述为社交媒体巨头，但它已逐渐超越了这一范畴。随着时间的推移，这款视频应用增加了 TikTok Shop、本地发现地图、强大的搜索功能、游戏等诸多功能。最近，它又增加了酒店预订功能，并正在申请金融科技牌照。TikTok 似乎正在采取行动，向所谓的“超级应用”演进——即一个单一平台，用户不仅可以在这里观看和分享视频，还能在一个目的地处理各种各样的需求。

The super app model is big in China with apps like WeChat, which is kind of like Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Pay, and an app store all rolled into a singular platform. Of course, there’s the question of whether a super app model would work outside of China, but that doesn’t mean TikTok won’t try. Instead of switching between apps, TikTok is working to become the app that people use for most of their digital activities. After taking its biggest leap with TikTok Shop, the company — which, notably, transitioned to new, primarily U.S. ownership back in January — has applied the same playbook to recent developments. 超级应用模式在中国非常盛行，例如微信，它集 Facebook、WhatsApp、Apple Pay 和应用商店的功能于一体。当然，超级应用模式在中国以外是否行得通仍是一个问题，但这并不意味着 TikTok 不会尝试。TikTok 正在努力成为人们进行大部分数字活动的首选应用，而不是在多个应用之间来回切换。在通过 TikTok Shop 迈出最大的一步之后，该公司（值得注意的是，它已于一月份转变为以美国所有权为主的新架构）已将同样的策略应用于近期的发展中。

Hotel and attraction booking

酒店与景点预订

Earlier this month, TikTok launched TikTok GO, a way for users to discover and book hotels, attractions, and experiences directly within its app in the U.S. TikTok GO surfaces lodging and things to do through videos, search, and location pages. When users find something they’re interested in, they can view details, check availability, and complete a booking. Instead of directing users to third-party websites after they come across a destination or recommendation in a video, TikTok has started positioning itself as a one-stop platform where viral travel content can drive bookings and revenue. 本月初，TikTok 在美国推出了 TikTok GO，让用户可以直接在其应用内发现并预订酒店、景点和体验项目。TikTok GO 通过视频、搜索和位置页面展示住宿和游玩信息。当用户发现感兴趣的内容时，可以查看详情、查询空房情况并完成预订。TikTok 不再在用户通过视频看到目的地或推荐后将其引导至第三方网站，而是开始将自己定位为一个一站式平台，让热门旅游内容能够直接转化为预订和收入。

While people have already been using TikTok as a search engine and replacement for Google, this latest step puts TikTok in more direct competition with Google’s core businesses, Search and Google Maps, because it’s working to not only be the app where you discover places, but also the platform where you purchase that trip. 虽然人们已经开始将 TikTok 作为搜索引擎来替代谷歌，但这一最新举措使 TikTok 与谷歌的核心业务（搜索和谷歌地图）形成了更直接的竞争，因为它不仅致力于成为你发现地点的应用，还致力于成为你购买行程的平台。

Payments

支付

A few weeks ago, Reuters reported that TikTok had applied to Brazil’s central bank for approval to operate as a financial technology company offering lending and payment services. The company is seeking two licenses. The first would allow it to provide prepaid accounts so users can store funds, receive money, and make payments. The second license would authorize it to operate as a direct credit provider, allowing it to lend its own capital or function as a platform that connects borrowers and lenders. The move marks a significant way that TikTok is branching out beyond a social media platform and into a digital ecosystem. By aiming to bring financial services into its app, TikTok is looking to increase user engagement, open new revenue streams, and position itself to compete with fintech startups and e-commerce platforms. 几周前，路透社报道称，TikTok 已向巴西央行申请批准，以金融科技公司的身份提供贷款和支付服务。该公司正在寻求两项牌照。第一项牌照将允许其提供预付账户，以便用户存储资金、收款和进行支付。第二项牌照将授权其作为直接信贷提供商运营，允许其借出自有资金，或作为连接借款人和贷款人的平台。此举标志着 TikTok 正从社交媒体平台向数字生态系统迈出重要一步。通过将金融服务引入其应用，TikTok 旨在提高用户参与度，开辟新的收入来源，并定位自己以与金融科技初创公司和电子商务平台竞争。

TikTok Shop

It’s widely known that one of TikTok’s biggest leaps beyond social media was the launch of TikTok Shop. TikTok began testing TikTok Shop in 2021 and launched it in the U.S. in 2023. Since then, the company has been able to successfully compete with Amazon, Shein, and other online marketplaces. According to eMarketer, TikTok Shop grew its US sales by 407.0% in 2024 and another 108.0% in 2025 to reach $15.82 billion. As of last year, the company accounted for 18.2% of total social commerce in the US, with that number expected to reach 24.1% by 2027. Additionally, TikTok began challenging digital marketplaces even further with the launch of TikTok Shop gift cards late last year. TikTok Shop has also recently expanded into luxury retail, after initially mainly being known for cheap goods. 众所周知，TikTok 超越社交媒体的最大飞跃之一就是 TikTok Shop 的推出。TikTok 于 2021 年开始测试 TikTok Shop，并于 2023 年在美国推出。自那时起，该公司已能成功与亚马逊、Shein 及其他在线市场竞争。据 eMarketer 数据显示，TikTok Shop 在 2024 年的美国销售额增长了 407.0%，2025 年又增长了 108.0%，达到 158.2 亿美元。截至去年，该公司占美国社交电商总额的 18.2%，预计到 2027 年这一数字将达到 24.1%。此外，TikTok 在去年底推出 TikTok Shop 礼品卡，进一步挑战数字市场。在最初以廉价商品闻名后，TikTok Shop 最近也扩展到了奢侈品零售领域。

Music

音乐

TikTok’s popularity has influenced the music industry and how people discover new music, and the company tried to capitalize on this by launching a streaming service called TikTok Music in 2023 to take on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, but ended up shutting it down a year later. The company said it would focus on driving music listening and continue partnering with music streaming services rather than competing with them. TikTok hasn’t completely abandoned its music ambitions, however, as the company recently introduced a feature that lets Apple Music subscribers play full songs in the app after discovering them on their “For You” feed. TikTok 的流行影响了音乐产业以及人们发现新音乐的方式。该公司曾试图利用这一点，在 2023 年推出了名为 TikTok Music 的流媒体服务，以挑战 Spotify 和 Apple Music 等平台，但一年后便将其关闭。该公司表示，将专注于推动音乐收听，并继续与音乐流媒体服务合作，而不是与它们竞争。不过，TikTok 并没有完全放弃其音乐雄心，因为它最近推出了一项功能，允许 Apple Music 订阅用户在“为你推荐”信息流中发现歌曲后，直接在应用内播放完整曲目。

Search and Maps

搜索与地图

TikTok has launched a robust search experience that surfaces maps, local hashtags, and even reviews to help users discover trending restaurants, travel locations, shops, and local experiences. It has also added more detailed information about places and restaurants on dedicated pages, allowing users to quickly see things like opening hours, star ratings, price ranges, and more. TikTok was already eating into Google’s Search business when it first launched, as it quickly surfaced videos featuring commentary and visuals of restaurant food and places. However, users may still have needed to turn to Google Search to find a place’s exact location or to read reviews. Over the past few years, however, TikTok has increasingly eliminated that need by integrating detailed information about places right within its app. TikTok 推出了强大的搜索体验，展示地图、本地标签甚至评论，帮助用户发现热门餐厅、旅游地点、商店和本地体验。它还在专门页面上添加了关于地点和餐厅的更详细信息，让用户可以快速查看营业时间、星级评分、价格范围等。TikTok 在刚推出时就已经在蚕食谷歌的搜索业务，因为它能迅速呈现包含餐厅美食和地点评论及视觉效果的视频。然而，用户过去可能仍需要转向谷歌搜索来查找地点的确切位置或阅读评论。但在过去几年里，TikTok 通过将地点的详细信息直接整合到应用内，日益消除了这种需求。

Microdramas

微短剧

While TikTok is known for user-generated entertainment, the company has also begun embracing microdramas by launching an in-app Minis section and a dedicated standalone app for bite-sized TV shows that can be watched in a series of one-minute episodes. While TikTok already competes with streaming giants like Netflix for users’ attention, its move into scripted shows puts it in even more direct competition with them. It’s worth noting that TikTok first took strides into entertainment with the launch of live-streaming and support for longer videos, a significant move away. 虽然 TikTok 以用户生成的内容娱乐而闻名，但该公司也开始拥抱微短剧，推出了应用内的“Minis”板块，以及一个专门用于观看一分钟一集的小型电视节目的独立应用。虽然 TikTok 已经在与 Netflix 等流媒体巨头争夺用户注意力，但其进军剧本化节目的举措使其与这些巨头的竞争更加直接。值得注意的是，TikTok 最初是通过推出直播和支持更长视频迈出了进军娱乐业的步伐，这是一个重大的转型。