This week, TikTok announced the addition of a restaurant guide feature within its app, marking another step in the platform’s expansion beyond its social media roots. Furthermore, the company has recently been spotted developing a feature that would allow users to transfer money via direct messages.
In recent years, the social media app has steadily broadened its capabilities, introducing TikTok Shop, a local discovery map, enhanced search functions, games, and more. TikTok appears to be evolving toward a “super-app” model—a single platform designed to meet a wide range of user needs, going well beyond the simple consumption and sharing of videos.
The super-app model is highly popular in China; WeChat, for instance, functions as an all-in-one platform that integrates the features of Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Pay, and an app store. While it remains to be seen whether this model can succeed outside of China, that has not stopped TikTok from giving it a try.
TikTok aims to become the primary app for the majority of its users’ digital activities, eliminating the need to switch between different applications. Following the significant success of TikTok Shop, the company—which notably underwent a change in ownership this past January, with its new owners primarily based in the United States—is now applying this same strategy to its latest developments.
TikTok has become a popular platform for restaurant recommendations, with viral videos often driving customers to visit local eateries. Now, the platform has introduced a new feature called “Must Eat,” designed to make discovering food easier for users. This community-driven guide highlights restaurants that have garnered significant attention on the platform.
“Must Eat” aggregates over 40 million posts and reviews, bringing together restaurant recommendations and curated lists in one place. Users can browse restaurants by city and refine their searches based on criteria such as cuisine, price, rating, and location.
This move pits TikTok more directly against platforms like Yelp and Google Maps. It also reflects the app’s expanding role in users’ daily decision-making—influencing everything from what products to buy to where to dine out.
In August, Bloomberg reported that TikTok is developing a new feature that would allow users to send money to one another via direct messages. If launched, the feature would utilize TikTok’s payment service, TikTok Pay—a system already in use across Southeast Asia for transactions within TikTok Shop.
Additionally, Reuters reported in March that TikTok has applied to the Central Bank of Brazil for approval to operate as a fintech company, offering both lending and payment services.
TikTok’s potential expansion into the payments sector marks a significant step in the company’s evolution from a social media platform into a digital ecosystem. By integrating financial services into its app, TikTok aims to boost user engagement, unlock new revenue streams, and strengthen its competitive position against fintech startups and e-commerce platforms.
For years, TikTok has aimed to become the go-to platform for users to access sports highlights and content. In early June, the company launched a dedicated FIFA World Cup page, where users can view scores, match schedules, standings, trending videos, highlights, player-focused content, and more.
If users are already watching videos on TikTok and want to check scores, they can do so without leaving the app—there’s no need to switch to a dedicated sports news app or search via Google.
TikTok’s dedicated World Cup hub was made possible by “TikTok GamePlan,” a product focused on the sports sector. It is designed to help sports teams, leagues, and broadcasters boost content visibility and user engagement on the platform. The social media giant has also established partnerships with Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB) to provide behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive content.
In May of this year, TikTok launched “TikTok GO” in the United States, allowing users to discover and book hotels, attractions, and experiences directly within the app. TikTok GO showcases information about accommodations and activities through videos, search results, and location-specific pages. Once users find something that interests them, they can view details, check availability, and complete their bookings.
Moving away from its previous practice of directing users to third-party websites after they discover a destination or recommendation through a video, TikTok is now positioning itself as an all-in-one platform—one where viral travel content can directly drive bookings and generate revenue.
While many users have already been utilizing TikTok as a search engine—effectively as an alternative to Google—this latest move places TikTok in more direct competition with Google’s core offerings: Search and Google Maps. The platform is evolving beyond a mere discovery tool, aiming to become a destination where users can also make travel purchases.
It is well known that one of the most significant leaps TikTok has made beyond its role as a social media platform is the launch of TikTok Shop. TikTok began testing the service in 2021 and officially rolled it out in the United States in 2023. Since then, the company has successfully positioned itself to compete with other online marketplaces, such as Amazon and Shein.
According to eMarketer, sales on TikTok Shop in the U.S. grew by 407% in 2024, with a projected further increase of 108% in 2025, reaching $15.82 billion. As of last year, the platform accounted for 18.2% of the total U.S. social commerce market—a figure expected to rise to 24.1% by 2027.
Furthermore, by introducing TikTok Shop gift cards late last year, the company has further challenged the broader digital marketplace. While TikTok Shop was initially known for selling low-cost goods, it has recently expanded into the luxury retail sector.
The popularity of TikTok has influenced the music industry and the way people discover new music; seeking to capitalize on this, the company launched a streaming service called TikTok Music in 2023 to compete with platforms like Spotify and Apple Music—only to shut it down a year later.
The company stated that it will focus on driving music consumption and continue to collaborate with—rather than compete against—music streaming services. However, TikTok has not entirely abandoned its music ambitions; it recently introduced a feature that allows Apple Music subscribers to play full songs directly within the app after discovering them in their “For You” feed.
TikTok has introduced a robust search feature that incorporates maps, local hashtags, and even user reviews, helping users discover popular restaurants, tourist attractions, shops, and local experiences. Furthermore, TikTok has added detailed information about locations and restaurants on dedicated pages, allowing users to quickly view details such as business hours, star ratings, and price ranges.
From its inception, TikTok began encroaching on Google’s search business by rapidly surfacing a vast number of videos featuring reviews of food, dining, and the atmosphere of various establishments. Previously, users might have still needed to turn to Google Search to find a restaurant’s exact location or read reviews; however, over the past few years, TikTok has effectively eliminated that need by integrating detailed location information directly into its app.
While TikTok is best known for user-generated entertainment content, the company has also begun venturing into the realm of micro-dramas. It has introduced an in-app section for “mini-series”—consisting of one-minute episodes—and launched a standalone app dedicated entirely to such short-form dramas. This move intensifies TikTok’s competition with streaming giants like Netflix, as both vie for the same user attention.
Notably, TikTok’s initial expansion into the broader entertainment space began with the introduction of live-streaming features and support for longer-form videos—a significant shift from its original focus on 15-second clips.
TikTok has also introduced a range of casual games within its app, designed to encourage users to spend more time on the platform and engage with others through direct messaging. The addition of these games marks a continued effort by TikTok to evolve from a social media platform into a comprehensive hub that integrates video, entertainment, and gaming. Users can not only browse videos but also invite friends to join them in playing simple, accessible games.