Opera is adding a built-in TikTok feature to the sidebar of its desktop browser. The integration is a result of the surge in popularity of TikTok among internet users as well as a strong demand for this feature: according to Opera’s research, the vast majority of TikTok users aged 18 to 35 who participated in the survey would like to have the platform integrated into their browser.

The Opera browser – available on Windows, Mac and Linux – already has several built-in messengers and social media platforms integrated in the sidebar. Now, with the addition of TikTok, users are able to experience the entertainment platform directly in the browser. The addition of TikTok is a response to users’ requests: in Opera’s survey, 65 percent of respondents from the 18 to 35 age group used TikTok, and a majority of those already active on the platform said they would love to see TikTok available in their desktop browser. Today’s release makes Opera the only browser to offer a way to enjoy TikTok without opening a separate app or having to search through tabs.

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“TikTok has developed from a platform full of short funny videos to a source of entertainment, news, and inspiration. With this release, Opera is answering our users’ requests to have TikTok at their fingertips,” said Joanna Czajka, Product Director at Opera. “Typically, people who have started using the messengers and social media platforms available through Opera’s sidebar do not want to go back to a world without them,” added Czajka.

Opera’s research has found out that once people become TikTok users, they tend to become power users and rank TikTok as the  media platform they access most frequently. Globally, 86 percent of respondents active on TikTok were using it to find entertainment, followed by news (35 percent), and to stay on top of trends (34 percent). Interestingly, more than two thirds of respondents used TikTok to search for information.

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TikTok in Opera

TikTok’s web version allows users to enjoy the platform’s creative and engaging content on a large display. Additionally, Opera desktop browser users are able to upload their content to TikTok directly from the browser, allowing them to edit on a larger screen before uploading their videos.

TikTok is now available directly in Opera’s sidebar for new users. Existing Opera users can enable it by right clicking the browser sidebar and enabling it in the Messengers section of the Sidebar Once that is done, users are all set: they can start using TikTok from within Opera.