When did tiktok start

TikTok, originally called Douyin, was launched in China in September 2016 by ByteDance, a Chinese technology company. At the time, it was a short-form video-sharing app that allowed users to create and share videos up to 60 seconds in length.

In 2018, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, a popular short-form video app, and merged it with Douyin to create a new app called TikTok. TikTok was launched internationally in August 2018, and it quickly gained popularity among younger generations.

TikTok's popularity soared in 2019, with the app reaching 500 million active users worldwide. By the end of 2020, TikTok had surpassed 1 billion active users, making it one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in history.

Here's a brief timeline of TikTok's history:

• September 2016: Douyin (TikTok's Chinese version) is launched in China.
• 2017: Douyin gains popularity in China and begins to expand to other countries.
• August 2018: ByteDance acquires Musical.ly and merges it with Douyin to create TikTok.
• September 2018: TikTok is launched internationally.
• 2019: TikTok reaches 500 million active users worldwide.
• 2020: TikTok surpasses 1 billion active users worldwide.

Today, TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 2 billion active users and a presence in over 150 markets.