ByteDance Explores TikTok Integration to Propel Lemon8, its Sibling Social App

• IT Pana
• Sat,12 August 2023

ByteDance, the Beijing-headquartered parent company of TikTok, is reportedly venturing into a collaboration between its flagship platform and Lemon8, another social application under its umbrella. This strategic move comes to light through insights shared by Watchful.ai, a product intelligence firm. According to their findings, TikTok is believed to be developing an integration with Lemon8 that would empower users to seamlessly synchronize their Lemon8 content onto TikTok. Furthermore, the feature would enable users to enhance their posts with TikTok's signature sounds and music using its dedicated editor.

Watchful.ai's approach relies on a fusion of computer vision, machine learning algorithms, and meticulous analysis of publicly accessible data to unveil and simulate app modifications prior to their public unveiling. This methodology has allowed Watchful.ai to uncover upcoming features on several occasions. Recently, their observations predated the reveal of TikTok's AI chatbot Tako, a dedicated Shop feed, video stickers, and more.

As of now, TikTok has not responded to requests for comments regarding this speculated partnership.

Lemon8 gained considerable momentum on the App Store earlier this year, coinciding with U.S. lawmakers deliberating a potential TikTok ban or enforced sale. Originally introduced in March 2020, Lemon8's prominence surged on TikTok's platform this spring.

Significantly, Lemon8 achieved viral status on TikTok's video-sharing realm, as multiple influencers shared enthusiastic videos promoting the app, likening it to a fusion of Pinterest and Instagram. Notably, these posts did not overtly indicate sponsorship or advertising. This orchestrated popularity propelled Lemon8 to a notable position within the Top 10 Overall apps on the U.S. App Store for a span of several days in March 2023.

Earlier revelations from Insider suggested that ByteDance had financially incentivized creators to endorse Lemon8 on TikTok as a strategic maneuver to catalyze its initial U.S. user base and content.

It appears ByteDance intended Lemon8 to serve as a contingency plan to engage and captivate U.S. users should TikTok face a potential ban. The newly unearthed cross-posting feature, if officially introduced, would enable ByteDance to leverage TikTok's extensive user base to boost Lemon8's visibility, encouraging installations and user adoption. However, the specific launch timeline of this cross-pollination mechanism remains uncertain and could be under consideration.

Currently, Lemon8 boasts an estimated 25 million worldwide downloads, based on insights from market intelligence firm data.ai. Notably, its strongest markets are Thailand (36% of installations), Japan (24%), Indonesia (21%), Malaysia (7.2%), and the U.S. (7%).