TikTok announced this week that it’s adding an in-app restaurant guide, marking another step in the platform’s expansion beyond social media. The company has also recently been spotted developing a feature that would allow users to send money over direct messages. The social media app has steadily expanded its offerings in recent years, adding TikTok Shop, a map for local discovery, more robust search features, games, and more.
It appears that TikTok is taking steps to evolve into a “super app,” a single platform where users can do much more than just watch and share videos and that can actually handle a wide range of needs in one destination. The super app model is big in China with apps like WeChat, which is kind of like Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Pay, and an app store all rolled into a single platform. Of course, there’s the question of whether a super app model would work outside of China, but that doesn’t mean TikTok won’t try.
Instead of switching between apps, TikTok is working to become the app that people use for most of their digital activities. After taking its biggest leap with TikTok Shop, the company — which, notably, transitioned to new, primarily U.S. ownership back in January — has applied the same playbook to recent developments. TikTok has become a popular destination for restaurant recommendations, with viral videos often driving customers to local eateries.
Now, the platform is looking to make that discovery process even easier with a new feature called “Must Eat.” The community-driven guide highlights restaurants getting attention on the platform. Users can browse restaurants by city and narrow their search by cuisine, price, rating, and location. The move puts TikTok in more direct competition with platforms like Yelp and Google Maps.
It also reflects how the app is expanding its role in users’ everyday decisions, from what they buy to where they choose to go out to eat. Bloomberg reported in August that TikTok is developing a feature that would allow users to send each other money via direct messages. If rolled out, the feature would use the social media service’s TikTok Pay offering, which is already available in Southeast Asia for TikTok Shop purchases.
Additionally, reported in March that TikTok had applied to Brazil’s central bank for approval to operate as a financial technology company offering lending and payment services. TikTok’s potential expansion into payments marks a significant way that the company is branching out beyond a social media platform and into a digital ecosystem. By aiming to bring financial services into its app, TikTok is looking to increase user engagement, open new revenue streams, and position itself to compete with fintech startups and e-commerce platforms.
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