Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
After two years as the hot new app, TikTok is suddenly fighting for its life. The app faces a potential ban in the United States due to concerns around its Chinese ownership; if it isn’t banned, parts of the app may be sold off to Microsoft or another suitor, splintering the network that exists today. If that happens, millions of TikTokkers could suddenly be looking for a new home — and competing apps will have a rare opportunity to break into the big time.
With that window of opportunity opening, a new class of apps has elbowed into the spotlight: Byte, Triller, Zynn, Clash, Instagram, and Snapchat are all offering TikTok clones or music features designed to fill the hole TikTok might leave.
Some of those apps have racked up eye-popping…