Want to grow your brand in China?

Then an official Douyin account is an absolute must. 

Douyin — the Chinese TikTok — is one of the biggest marketing channels and social media apps in China, with over 600 million daily active users. 

Read on for a step-by-step breakdown of the Douyin app new account sign up process, and how you can get verified on the platform.

There are two routes for signing up to TikTok China / Douyin app: one for iPhone/iOS devices, and one for Android devices.  Douyin app is available on both app stores; Google Play for Andriod devices and Apple App Store for iOs devices.

How to open a Chinese TikTok/Douyin App account on Android 

To sign up for Chinese TikTok / Douyin app on your Android device, you’ll need to:

Step 1: Go to douyin.com

You won’t be able to download Douyin app from the Google Play store unless you’re in Mainland China. Instead, you’ll need to download the app directly from Douyin’s website. 

So, go to douyin.com on your Android device and scroll down to the bottom of the homepage until you see your download options:

Click the Android icon button. 

This will download the Douyin app APK (android package) to your phone.

Step 2: Approve the download

Click ‘Download’ on the ‘Download file’ prompt that appears, and ‘OK’ when you’re asked if you want to keep the file. 

Don’t worry about the warning — the Douyin app APK is safe to download. 

Step 3: Start the installation process

Once the app APK download is complete, click ‘open’ to initiate the installation process. 

Step 4: Approve the install 

You can’t install APK files from Google without approval. So, at the security prompt, click ‘Settings’ and turn on the ‘Allow from this source’ switch.

Step 5: Install the Douyin application 

Next, after approving the install, open up your file manager and click on the downloaded Douyin app APK. Then click ‘Install’. 

Step 4: Open the app 

Douyin app will now be downloaded onto your phone. Open the app from your home screen. 

Step 5: Complete the Douyin app account sign up process

You’ll now just need to complete the following steps to open your Douyin/ Chinese TikTok account:

1. Click ‘OK’ (好的) to the terms and conditions pop-up 
2. Tap the ‘Me’ (我) tab in the bottom right-hand corner 
3. Type in your mobile number (with the correct country code) 
4. Tap ‘Send code’ in the pink button (获取短信验证码) 
5. Drag the slider to the puzzle piece for security verification 
6. Enter the SMS code sent to your phone
7. Click ‘Login’ in the pink button (登录) 

Done! You can now use Chinese TikTok / Douyin app . 

Note: You can’t translate Douyin app to English on Android devices — even if your device is set to English. For that reason, the sign-up process can be tricky. Follow the steps above for guidance. They should help you to overcome the language barrier.

Also read – What Is Douyin & How To Advertise on Douyin App?

How to open a Chinese TikTok / Douyin App account on iOS

Here’s how you can sign up for TikTok China / Douyin app on your iOS device:

Step 1: Switch your Apple ID region to Mainland China

To download Douyin app on the iOS app store, you’ll need to change your Apple ID region to Mainland China. Here’s how:

• Open the app store
• Click on your profile icon in the top right corner
• Next, click on your name/email to open your profile
• Click ‘Country/region’ 
• Click ‘China Mainland’ from the list of countries 

Step 2: Search for Douyin app in the app store 

Locate the app, and then click on the ‘install’ icon.  

Step 3: Open the app and sign up for an account

Once the Douyin app has downloaded, open it up from your home screen and complete the same steps as above:

1. Click ‘OK’ to the terms and conditions pop-up 
2. Tap the ‘Me’ tab in the bottom right hand corner 
3. Type in your mobile number (with the correct country code) 
4. Tap ‘Send code’ in the pink button 
5. Drag the slider to the puzzle piece for security verification 
6. Enter the SMS code sent to your phone
7. Click ‘Login’ in the pink button

You can then start using your Chinese TikTok / Douyin app account on your iOS device.

Note: Because you have to change your app store location to Mainland China, Douyin on iOS is automatically translated to English. This means the sign-up process is much easier, as you won’t have to try and navigate the Chinese instructions. 

How to get verified on Chinese TikTok / Douyin App

Once you’ve opened your Douyin account, it’s worth getting verified. 

This will turn your standard account into an official account on Douyin. Advantages include:

• A verified tick next to your name
• Access to detailed analytics 
• The ability to open a Douyin store 
• The ability to sell products in live streams (via your Douyin store)

All of which will help you leverage Douyin’s huge user base to your advantage. 

Here’s what you need to do to verify your Douyin account. 

Step 1: Go to Douyin’s official account platform

Click here or enter https://renzheng.douyin.com/ into your URL bar. 

Step 2: Start the verification process 

Click ‘Authenticate now’ (or ‘立即认证’ in Chinese) on the homepage.  

Then, with your camera lens, scan the QR code that appears in the Douyin app. 

Step 3: Complete the verification form

You’ll then be taken to a form that asks for the following information: 

• Type of account you want (company or individual)
• Category 
• Region of registration and operation 
• Details of any offline stores
• Business license (scanned copy) 
• Operator details (name, phone number, email address) 

Click ‘Submit’ when complete. 

Step 4: Wait for approval 

Once you’ve submitted the verification form, a Douyin representative should then be in touch with you within five working days. They’ll either ask for more information or immediately approve your verification. 

Who can get verified on Douyin?

To get verified on Douyin, you’ll need: 

Individual accounts:

• A minimum of one video published
• At least 10,000 followers 
• A phone number linked to your account

Business accounts:

• A Mainland Chinese business license 
• An ICP license if you want to link to your website
• Submit an application letter 
• Pay a 600 CNY yearly fee 

Want to sign up for Chinese TikTok/Douyin Account without all the hassle?

We can help. 

Our expert team can set up a Douyin account for you, verify it, and help you build a strategy to maximize your advertising success. 

You can also advertise your brand on Douyin, straight from our all-in-one Chinese advertising platform. 

Get in touch with us to find out more.