If you’re accustomed to scrolling for hours on the TikTok mobile app, you may have been surprised to hear that its web version got a major update. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent, has redesigned the desktop experience to be more engaging and YouTube-like.
The TikTok Web App Redesign: What’s different?
When TikTok’s battle with regulators in the U.S. continued, it did not affect its expansion and improvement of the platform. The most recent update aims to improve the experience of users who access TikTok from their web browsers at TikTok.com.
The official Today announcement on TikTok’s newsroom describes the redesign as a way to create an “easy-to-use and immersive viewing experience” for desktop users. Here are the key upgrades:
- Modular Design Where It’s Everybody — The top navigation has been moved to minimize distractions and provide a more immersive experience.
- Stream in Landscape Mode – Game streamers can now stream in portrait or landscape mode, providing a full-screen horizontal experience for desktop users.
- Chrome Floating Mini-Player – Minimize hovering images on your screen with the latest mini-player that allows videos to keep playing above all other windows in order to enable you to multitask.
- Collections for Favorite Videos — Group content for your favorite videos into collections so you can view them later.
Portraying TikTok’s Unique Experience on Mobile to Desktop
TikTok Product Manager, Cody Puckett, is thrilled about the new updates.
“Our users use TikTok in so many different ways that we are excited to offer these web app updates. “We see these controls as a way to extend TikTok’s handheld magic to desktop with more tools and flexibility for a contagious experience.”
The tweaks also make TikTok’s web version feel much closer to YouTube’s layout, given the refreshed navigation and video organization. While TikTok is a mobile-first platform, these updates suggest that ByteDance is betting on its desktop experience.
How to Use the TikTok Desktop Version?
If you like to watch TikTok on a bigger screen, these updates make the web version more attractive. The new design and features like the mini-player and custom collections give it a smoother user experience overall.
