ByteDance launched Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in 2016. The app was released in China on September 20, 2016, originally under the name A.me.
Douyin was developed as a short-form video platform for the Chinese market. ByteDance built it separately from the international version because China has its own internet regulations, content rules, app ecosystem, and operating environment. The app was renamed Douyin in December 2016, although its international counterpart later became known as TikTok.
Douyin and TikTok share similar interfaces and recommendation technology, but they are not simply the same app with different names. They operate on separate systems, with different content libraries, features, and user communities. Douyin also developed commerce, hotel-booking, review, and in-video search features that distinguish it from TikTok.
ByteDance launched TikTok internationally in 2017 and later strengthened its global position by acquiring Musical.ly in 2017. In 2018, Musical.ly was merged into TikTok, helping the international service reach a much larger audience.