Here's why everyone is flocking to Triller — and why you should be, too

Ever since ByteDance Ltd. acquired Musical.ly and merged it into TikTok in 2018, the video-sharing app has shown no signs of slowing down.

Though the platform is only a few years old, it’s already created internet sensations like Grammy winner Lil Nas X, Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae. The app is also responsible for new viral trends like the Renegade, the “Cannibal” dance and the “Say So” dance.

At this point, odds are that you have TikTok installed on your phone. In April, TikTok became the first app since 2014 to surpass 2 billion downloads on both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, according to TechCrunch.

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Recently, though, the fate of TikTok — in the United States, at least — has become uncertain. In fact, President Trump declared on Aug. 3 that unless the Chinese app was acquired by an American company (like Microsoft, which seems to be interested in buying it), he would ban it.

So, where does that leave all of us who rely on TikTok to curtail our crippling depression? Well, with the app’s fate so uncertain, at least one video-sharing app has managed to capitalize on that uncertainty: Triller.

Keep reading to learn more about the app, which is arguably TikTok’s biggest competitor — plus, find out which major influencers are already supporting it.

What is Triller?

First introduced in 2015, Triller is a self-described “game-changing music video maker app.” Like TikTok, you can use the app — and its 100-plus filters — to make short music videos and other viral clips.

Unlike TikTok, though, Triller “auto edits your takes into a flawless video.” Translation: All you have to do is provide the content, and the app will do the rest.

How popular is Triller?

Someone is using it, apparently. On Aug. 2, the app ranked No. 1 in every category in the app store in 50 countries, including the United States, Australia and Italy. According to a press release, the app recently reached more than 250 million downloads worldwide.

Which influencers are already supporting Triller?

If you’re on straight TikTok, then you might’ve already noticed the glaring absence of content from Sway House. In late July, some of the content hub’s biggest stars — including Josh Richards, Noah Beck, Griffin Johnson and Anthony Reeves — announced that they’d be leaving the platform for Triller, citing privacy concerns.

“After seeing the U.S. and other countries’ governments’ concerns over TikTok — and given my responsibility to protect and lead my followers and other influencers — I followed my instincts as an entrepreneur and made it my mission to find a solution,” Richards told the Los Angeles Times.

As part of the deal, Richards, Johnson, Beck and Reeves — who combined have a following of nearly 50 million — signed on as Triller advisers and became equity shareholders in the company.

Celebrities on the platform include Marshmello, Skip Marley, Juicy J, Martin Garrix, The Weeknd, Millie Bobby Brown, Brad Paisley, Blac Chyna and Mike Tyson. According to the L.A. Times, rappers Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne are also investors in the company.

Is Triller TikTok’s only competitor?

Psh, hardly. In fact, pretty much every major company is trying to compete with the Chinese powerhouse.

Recently, for instance, Snapchat announced that it would be rolling out a TikTok-like music feature this fall. In July, Instagram also confirmed that its competitor app, Reels, will launch in early August.

Godspeed, everyone.

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