TikTok , previously known as Musical.ly, is now one of the most popular apps with 800 million active users worldwide. The lip-syncing app is growing at a rapid pace and is a robust alternative to video streaming services like YouTube , Vimeo or Dailymotion. At least because it’s much more addictive, cringy and funnier.

TikTok lets users express themselves creatively with no video editing skills required, and no professional camera needed; the quality of your smartphone cam is more than enough.

But who are these users, or TikTokers, exactly and what content do they make?

Discover TikTok content

Since 41% of TikTok's audience is between 16 and 24 years of age, the content they upload is vines, challenges, memes, and dances. Yet, TikTok is eclectic, so there are educational videos, life hacks, recipes and pranks shot with trending songs in the background and packed with transitions and effects, as well.

The web version has the Trending and Discover sections.

Trending offers the latest and hottest short video content, and if you head over to Discover, you’ll see accounts you may be interested in, as well as new TikTok challenges and flash mobs.

You can upload a video from the version but before you need to log in to the platform with one of your social media accounts, email or your Apple ID.

Mobile app for iOS and Android have the Home page with two content sections: Following and For You. Following is a selection with the content of the TikTokers you’re subscribed to. For You offers videos that the platform sees as interesting for you.

On your smartphone, you can also find new content with the Discover page, equal to Instagram’s Explore tab. Inbox page is direct messages and notifications of other users’ activity.

In the Discover tab, you can search relevant content by hashtags, keywords, users, and even sounds.

You can also curate the content you’re watching on TikTok. If you have a TikTok account, your Home content feed will be split into two parts: Following with videos of users you follow and For You with potentially interesting content. You can curate the For You section by hiding videos you don’t like and thus influence the content selection process.

To do so, stop the video you don’t like by clicking on it. Then hold your finger on the clip for a couple of seconds and the dialogue window will pop up. Then press Not interested, and you’re good to go.

Or you can go further, tap More and then either hide videos from this creator or hide videos with the sound used in the clip.

After the feedback, your recommended content will be reviewed.

Along with challenges, memes and flash mobs that nourish the app, you can create duets. Duets on TikTok mean that you can take someone else’s video and make your own next to it.

So if you’ve been looking for an app to sweeten your boring evenings during the quarantine, search no further. TikTok is at your binge-watching service.

Best TikTokers 2020 to start with

• @Julie Louise is a trainer and model whose channel is full of fitness inspiration videos, home and gym workouts.

• @Jen Selter uploads training videos and healthy recipes. If you want to stay fit during the quarantine and eat clean food, follow Jen on TikTok and download her videos to your computer for offline use with 4K Video Downloader .

• @Lauren Bower calls herself just a mom throwing down in the kitchen and covers simple recipes that anyone, even with no cooking skills, can repeat.

• @Joshuah Nishi cooks McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, French toasts, bubble waffle ice cream, or Asian zing wings and a lot more. There's a meal for everybody on his account.

• @Maya is a Starbucks barista, and she teaches you how to make your favourite Starbucks beverage.

• @Promise Tamang does incredible character transformations with makeup, from hip-hop star Cardi B to Maleficent.

• @Rose Siard does more traditional makeup tutorials and product tests, trying on big-name brands, like Fenty Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics.

• @Erica is a TikTok fashion influencer making fashion and lifestyle videos.

• @IOHA or Institute of Human Anatomy is a private human cadaver lab that makes educational videos with its "wares."

• @Phillip Cook is a chemistry teacher showing experiments and reactions.

• @Doctor Julie Smith , clinical psychologist, online educator, and blogger, who covers mental health issues and gives you a daily dose of motivation on her TikTok channel.

• @Zach King , former Vine has found his new audience on TikTok making his wildly popular “magic videos” where he uploads shorts of himself performing logic-defying magic tricks.

• @Riyaz is an Indian actor, influencer, and fashion blogger who has gained a huge following since joining TikTok at just 15 years old.

• @Gil Croes is a social media personality and Arubian actor with several awards to his name. His popularity on TikTok is linked to his unique original characters and short-form film series content that spreads across multiple videos created with his brother, Jayden Croes.

TikTok is a perfect app for binge-watching. The platform’s mission is “to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge, and precious life moments, directly from the mobile phone. TikTok enables everyone to be a creator, and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos.”

In doing so, TikTok competes with giants like YouTube , Instagram, and Facebook

Focus on the entertainment is what helps TikTok stand out among the race. Unlike YouTube or Instagram, TikTok is not a lifestyle platform. And what makes it winning is that practically any user can become a content creator because the app is very easy to use. That’s why it seems appealing to so many creative minds worldwide.