Will TikTok Be Banned? Not Yet, but That Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Look for Alternatives | TechCrunch

With a TikTok ban in the United States getting closer, it may be time to think about other platforms you can adopt early on in case you need to fill the void left by the popular app at some point in the future.

On Wednesday, President Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell the app within a year, bringing the possibility of a TikTok ban closer than ever before. However, given the one-year deadline, TikTok won’t disappear immediately, especially since the company has promised to challenge the bill in court.

China is also expected to block a sale because the Chinese government would have to approve the transfer of the app’s algorithms. And if ByteDance does actually sell TikTok, it will probably do so without the app’s algorithms. That means if TikTok escapes a ban, there’s a chance the app will look different than what millions of Americans are used to.

Given all these scenarios, it is not too early to think about other platforms. While there isn’t a 1:1 replacement for TikTok, there are some viable options that offer a similar experience. Many companies have spent the last few years incorporating TikTok clones into their own products, and some of them are worth considering.

Instagram Reels

Instagram’s Reels product is arguably the most popular TikTok clone, and for good reason. Many of the videos are identical, as creators often share the same content they post on TikTok on Instagram Reels. Plus, many of the trending sounds and topics on TikTok eventually find their way to Instagram Reels. Since a lot of the content is the same, Instagram Reels could be the best option for a TikTok alternative.

However, because TikTok’s algorithm is largely unmatched, Instagram Reels may not be able to display videos that interest you at the same level as TikTok. But Instagram has improved the Reels recommendation algorithm, so we can probably expect it to get better over time.

If you use TikTok as a type of search engine to find places near you to explore or eat, Reels may be the best alternative for you as the feed has a Nearby tab that displays content that relate to your geographical location.

If a TikTok ban becomes a reality, Instagram Reels will likely become the most popular platform for short-form video content since it already largely dominates the social media landscape, which is why you might want to take a look and get used to it just yet.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube is another platform that has developed a TikTok-like product. YouTube Shorts could be the best TikTok alternative for you if you are someone who enjoys finding new music on TikTok, as YouTube Shorts has access to the extensive library of YouTube songs and music videos, something TikTok no longer does due to its dispute has with Universal Music Group.

YouTube Shorts also has an advantage that other services on this list don’t, which is integration with a popular long-form video content platform. Millions of people around the world already use YouTube to watch content every day. So if TikTok is banned, YouTube could also become the go-to place for short-form content, especially if popular TikTok creators choose it as the new home for their content.

Unfortunately, the content on YouTube Shorts is often not as engaging as platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels, as they sometimes contain content reposted from longer YouTube videos. Still, you can search for content you want to watch and find videos using hashtags or keywords.

Snapchat Spotlight

Snapchat’s Spotlight feed is another viable TikTok alternative if you’re looking for short and entertaining content. Unlike TikTok and Instagram Reels, Spotlight generally only shows fun and light-hearted videos. You probably won’t find any political or news content in the feed, which could be a selling point for some users.

Spotlight has a trending section where you can watch popular videos on various topics and songs that are currently in focus. Similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels, you can search for content based on keywords and hashtags.

However, one of Snapchat Spotlight’s biggest drawbacks is that it struggles to reach beyond its younger users. Given that adults are more likely to use a platform like TikTok or Instagram Reels, you may not find the content on Spotlight as appealing as it is primarily aimed at a younger audience.

Unfortunately, the comments section on Spotlight videos isn’t as great as it is on platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels, where the top comments can sometimes be more entertaining than the video itself.

Fan base

Fanbase is a subscription-based social network that is essentially a combination of TikTok, Instagram, Patreon, Clubhouse, and Snapchat. The app offers short videos, images, long videos, stories, live streams and audio rooms. While the app is free to use, you can pay a subscription to get access to exclusive content.

What makes Fanbase a possible alternative to TikTok is the app’s “Flickz” feed. Like TikTok, Flickz includes a discover feed and another feed dedicated to content from creators you follow. You can find all kinds of content on Fanbase, including videos about sports, cooking, music, humor and more.

The app was founded with the goal of celebrating and platforming Black creators, whose content is often appropriated or undervalued on traditional social media platforms. Fanbase is an ad-free platform that promises to never ban or suppress content.

Cigazoo

Zigazoo is a relatively new short video platform aimed at young users and could be a good TikTok alternative for children and teenagers. The app offers light-hearted and playful videos and is considered a safer alternative to TikTok as it has no commenting feature and strict moderation guidelines.

The app allows users to browse or create short videos based on challenges or educational suggestions. Zigazoo also features funny dance videos, one of TikTok’s most popular content categories. Like TikTok and Instagram Reels, the app offers various effects, sounds and filters for videos.

The platform is on a roll, having raised a total of $20 million from big-name investors like Jimmy Kimmel, Serena Williams, TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, and the NBA.

While the app is not a TikTok replacement for adults, it is a great alternative for younger users, especially those whose parents are concerned that TikTok could harm children and teens.

Reddit

Reddit may not be the first platform you think of when considering TikTok alternatives, but the app’s video feed is worth a look, especially if you’re already a frequent user of the app. The platform offers a video feed of popular short-form content that you can swipe through. There is also a comments section that you can access by swiping up.

It’s worth noting that the content of the feed is slightly different than the videos you see on TikTok. While TikTok often shows you content directly from creators, Reddit’s video feed often shows reposted viral videos that people have been discussing.

If you primarily use TikTok for viral, funny videos, then Reddit’s video feed might be a good place for you to find your short video.

LinkedIn

You may be wondering why LinkedIn is on this list, but hear me out. TechCrunch reported last month that LinkedIn is testing a new TikTok-like video feed in its app. The feed contains content on news events, politics, career development, office humor, professionalism and more. If you are someone whose TikTok “For You” feed often contains content like this, then LinkedIn’s TikTok clone could be a viable alternative for you.

Since the feed is still fairly new, LinkedIn has the potential to develop a viable TikTok alternative for adults. There’s already talk about how LinkedIn was able to compete with X (after the chaos after Musk bought it), so there’s potential for LinkedIn to take on TikTok too. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Tendril

Now before you get too excited: No, Vine is not back.

However, X owner Elon Musk has announced the return of Vine since purchasing the social network formerly known as Twitter. Given a chance, Elon asked his followers whether he should bring Vine back. In another case, he replied with “Very good” to a tweet calling for the return of Vine.

As a reminder, Vine was incredibly popular in the early to mid-2010s, but was discontinued in 2017 after Twitter purchased it. The move was quite controversial and since then many popular Vine creators have moved to TikTok or YouTube.

If TikTok is banned, it would make sense for Musk and X Corp to bring Vine back and capitalize on TikTok’s loss. Given that Vine is primarily responsible for creating short videos, the app has the potential for a major comeback.

Of course, the question arises as to whether the app would stick to its original 7-second limit. It’s been years since Vine popularized the short video format, and people’s appetite for content has increased beyond 7 seconds as TikTok and Instagram Reels allow you to post longer videos. Regardless of what a relaunch would look like, it’s safe to say that people would be interested, especially if TikTok was no longer a player in the short-form video market.