What you need to know
- TikTok rolls out its TV app to more TV screens across North America.
- The app is now available on more Android TV devices as well as LG and Samsung smart TVs.
- It offers a lot of the same benefits as the mobile version.
TikTok partnered with Amazon Fire TV when it launched the TikTok TV app in the United States and Canada earlier this month, giving the entire family a way to join in on the latest craze together in their living room. Now, that experience is making its way to more TV screens.
On Monday, the video-focused social networking service announced that the TikTok TV app is now available on more Google TV and Android TV screens in North America. Aside from those platforms, the latest expansion allows some LG and Samsung smart TV owners in the region to access TikTok content.
The app offers the same experience as its mobile counterpart, including access to the "For You" and "Following" feeds on the big screen. You can also explore more types of content across various categories through the "Discover" tab. These categories include gaming, comedy, food, and animals.
However, there are some slight differences between the mobile and big screen versions of TikTok. For example, the TV app includes an autoplay feature that automatically shows content in a continuous feed. On mobile, you'll need to swipe vertically in order to view the next video.
TikTok first launched the TV app earlier this year, though its availability was limited back then. For instance, while it's compatible with the Chromecast with Google TV, the app had initial issues with the Nvidia Shield TV.
The North American expansion could heighten the competition between TikTok and YouTube in terms of dominating your screens. A few months ago, TikTok reportedly surpassed YouTube's average viewership on the best Android phones, though the latter remained dominant in overall viewership and user spending.
Only time will tell how TikTok's latest move can help narrow that gap.
