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AbacusTech

The top contender for TikTok’s spot in the US could be Chinese-owned app Likee

  • Likee accumulated more new installs in the US over the past six months than TikTok’s US rivals, says Apptopia
  • The White House is threatening to take action against TikTok, WeChat and other Chinese software

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Likee, a short video app similar to TikTok, is gaining ground in the US. Photo Handout
Karen Chiu

With the fate of TikTok hanging in balance in the US, a number of rival American apps have been climbing the download charts. But the top contender for TikTok’s spot is actually another app from a Chinese company.

Likee, owned by Chinese social video company JOYY, has been downloaded more than 7 million times over the past six months, according to US research firm Apptopia.

This is still a far cry from the more than 47 million downloads that TikTok saw in the same period. But Likee dwarfs other US apps that have recently seen a sudden surge in interest. Another competitor is Triller, which amassed just over 2.5 million downloads since early June. Byte, the six-month-old successor to the once-beloved Vine, had even fewer downloads.

Much like TikTok, Likee comes with simple tools that allow even amateurs to quickly produce compelling videos. With just a few taps on the phone, users can pick from a swarm of ready-made filters and adjust the sound and speed of a video – something that not long ago might have required the skills of a professional videographer.

Likee belongs to BIGO Technology, a Singapore-based company co-founded by a Chinese tech veteran handpicked by JOYY’s chairman. The Guangzhou-based JOYY has since acquired BIGO.

In an interview with the Post in April, BIGO co-founder Jason Hu insisted that it’s impossible for Likee to achieve TikTok’s level of success given their different financial resources. He also took care to emphasise BIGO’s physical distance from China.
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