TikTok has quietly launched a standalone TikTok Shop app in four Southeast Asian markets, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, TechCrunch reported.
Social media consultant Matt Navarra first spotted the release.
The app, available on iOS and Android, lets users shop through live streams and short videos, get personalised product recommendations, check out in the app, and track orders.
Its store listing also promises free shipping offers, first-order benefits and deals that are only available in the app.
Those exclusive deals give shoppers a reason to buy through the new app rather than the main TikTok app.
TikTok did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment, and it is not yet clear whether the company plans to launch the app in more markets.
Southeast Asia is TikTok Shop’s Stronghold
The region is central to TikTok Shop’s business.
Its gross merchandise value (GMV) in Southeast Asia roughly doubled to US$45.6 billion in 2025, research firm Momentum Works estimated, in figures carried by Digital in Asia.
TikTok Shop accounted for 39% of combined GMV across Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop in the first half of 2026, up from 27% a year earlier, while Shopee held 55%, market data from Cube shows.
A dedicated app could help TikTok Shop reach shoppers who don’t use TikTok for entertainment, and compete more directly with e-commerce apps like Shopee and Lazada.
In Malaysia, TikTok Shop’s GMV more than doubled in 2025, rising 132% to over US$5 billion, Digital in Asia estimates.
That growth makes Malaysia one of the platform’s fastest-expanding markets in the region, alongside Vietnam and Indonesia.
Beyond Social Media
The launch is the latest step in TikTok’s push beyond social media.
The company has added games, restaurant guides, sports hubs, hotel booking and microdramas, and is also exploring payments, TechCrunch noted.
