The news: TikTok, which recently returned to US app stores, more than doubled its usual downloads post-relisting, per Sensor Tower. It now overshadows US rivals YouTube, Instagram, and Snap in that arena—a testament to TikTok’s dominance as the leading platform for social video and commerce.
TikTok’s return to US app stores drove a 91% decline in downloads for RedNote, the rival Chinese social app that became the most downloaded free app on US app stores last month. RedNote is struggling to retain users despite maintaining a 25% higher daily active user count than before TikTok’s removal.
TikTok reclaims the top spot: It was the No. 1 downloaded free app on Android and fifth in Apple’s App Store on Friday. With 170 million US users and 7 million businesses relying on TikTok, it remains a dominant force that US alternatives like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and Snap have struggled to match.