If you’re not a millennial, you can probably answer the question: What is TikTok? For all of us out there who are not quite sure, TikTok is an app that was released in September of last year. It’s basically just like Snapchat or Instagram except it’s mostly videos and very short (at least three seconds long). You can check out the guide below and help grow your account using your skills or even take advantage of SocialBoosting.

1. SIGNING UP

Just like when signing up for most other social media apps, you’re going to have to fill out some pretty basic information. You have to enter your name as well as your birthday and then choose a username. Although you can shake the app to change your username, I wouldn’t suggest it since people are going to refer to you in the future by that name.

2. ADDING FRIENDS

Since this is an app for teens and possibly even pre-teens, it’s a good idea to ask permission from their parents before adding them as a friend on TikTok. Once you have permission from their parents, go ahead and add them anyway because they almost definitely wanted you too anyway.

3. COMMENTS, REACTIONS, AND BOOMERANGS

There are three types of comments that you can leave on posts: emojis, stickers and text comments. The difference between stickers and emojis is that stickers have some sort of animation to them whereas emojis are static images. You place comments in a similar manner that you place photos or videos: simply swipe up from the bottom of your screen and select either stickers, emojis, or text.

4. MESSAGING

There is absolutely no way to message people on TikTok. You can’t even use emojis because they’re not even allowed to be used on the app. Because there are absolutely no real-life friendships here, we will just have to move on to the next section of the guide.

5. LIKING AND THUMBS UP/DOWN

Liking something basically means you like it, but only if you think it’s good enough to deserve a thumbs up. It’s similar to Facebook where if you like an article or post, you can leave a thumbs up which will allow others to see that your thoughts are positive or negative on that particular post.

6. PHOTOS/VIDEOS

In order to add a photo or video to TikTok, you must use the in-app camera. To use this feature, simply swipe up from the bottom of your screen and you’ll be prompted to take a video or choose an existing photo from your phone. You can also just upload an old photo from your phone’s gallery but I can’t see any reason why anyone would do that. To actually post the picture or video, tap on the share option in the bottom right hand corner of your screen and then go ahead and choose who you want to share it with.

7. DISLIKING

If you don’t like someone’s post or if you think that it’s absolutely terrible, your options are to either just not like it and let the creator know through their reactions or leave a thumbs down and tell them that you think their content is terrible. If you choose to do this, be aware that creators may get really upset and even block you from using the app.

8. FOLLOWING AND UNFOLLOWING

Sometimes, you may want to stop following someone that you used to enjoy following. This is a very simple process because all you have to do is look at their profile page and then tap on the option that says “Follow”. If you’re having a hard time finding it, it’s right there where the next post button usually is.

TikTok is a fun app for young teenagers to express themselves and make friends. It’s also a good way for adults to make friends with their kids. I would highly recommend following some creators (that they ask you to follow) so that you can get a better understanding on how the app works.