In addition to more Google TV and Android TV devices, the TikTok TV app is also available for a handful of Samsung and LG Smart TVs. The app brings an expanded version of TikTok without compromising on the user experience. Logging in to your TikTok account can enable options like For You and Following. The biggest change here is that videos on your feed will autoplay without interruptions instead of having to swipe to the following content manually. There’s also a Discover section where you can find trending content across categories like comedy, gaming, food, travel, sports, animals, and more.
TikTok TV was previously available on Android TV in regions like the UK, France, and Germany
Since vertical videos can be slightly odd to view on a television screen, TikTok TV offers a dimmer version of the video on either side. This is a decent alternative to using a blank space on both sides. It’s worth noting that the TikTok TV app was previously available for Google TV and Android TV platforms in the UK, France, and Germany. So the new launch mainly applies to customers in the U.S. and Canada. TikTok said LG Smart TVs running webOS 4.0 and newer can also get the new TV app. The arrival of TikTok in the living rooms could potentially challenge YouTube’s dominance in the segment, as TechCrunch points out. Recent stats show that over 100 million customers in the U.S. watch YouTube or YouTube TV content on their televisions. YouTube has the advantage of a more extensive library and long-form videos. On the other hand, TikTok’s short-form videos are optimized for mobile devices, making it harder to replicate the same experience on larger screens. TikTok addressed concerns about the length of its content by adding support for videos of up to 3 minutes in length earlier this year. We’ve also come across reports suggesting that TikTok is developing videos of up to 10 minutes in length. So while the app may be limited to short, quirky videos right now, that could change quickly.
