TikTok recently introduced a new social app called Whee, which is similar to Instagram and allows users to share photos with friends. Whee offers features like photo filters and messaging. However, the app’s future plans are unclear, as it has not been heavily promoted and has low download numbers, according to data from app intelligence firm Appfigures.
New apps struggle to gain visibility without marketing support on the App Store. Despite launching in 71 countries on June 18, Whee did not initially rank high on the Top Free Apps chart or the Top 500 Social apps due to limited promotion.
Whee is connected to TikTok, owned by ByteDance, but is published under TikTok’s name on the App Store.
As of the latest data, Whee has around 13,000 global iOS downloads and over 10,000 Android downloads. Most downloads come from countries like Malaysia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Peru, and Indonesia. Whee has managed to rank in smaller markets but hasn’t gained significant traction.
ByteDance has not used Apple’s Search Ads to promote Whee, and user feedback has been mixed with an average rating of 3.6 out of 5 globally.
There is speculation that Whee’s launch could be a backup plan for ByteDance in case of TikTok’s ban in the U.S. The company has previously experimented with other social apps like Lemon8 with varying degrees of success.
ByteDance continues to explore new apps like CapCut and TikTok Notes, indicating its ongoing efforts to diversify beyond TikTok. Whether Whee will see similar success as Lemon8 remains to be seen.
If you notice your favorite TikTok influencer mentioning Whee in the future, they may have been sponsored to promote the app.
