The TikTok Method: How to Find Viral App Ideas Every Day

You've got 47 app ideas in your notes.

You've built zero.

Meanwhile, some random app that makes people "taller" is pulling $90K/month. An app. That makes you taller. Let that sink in.

The problem isn't execution. It's not even technical skill — with vibe coding tools, anyone can ship an app in a weekend now.

The problem is you're stuck in your head, waiting for the "perfect" idea.

Here's the fix: stop inventing ideas. Start discovering them.

This guide breaks down the exact method to find validated, money-making app ideas every single day using TikTok. No guesswork. No overthinking. Just a repeatable system.

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TL;DR

• TikTok is a goldmine for app ideas because Gen Z creates trends daily
• Use Creator Search Insight to find keywords with 100K+ weekly searches
• Competition = validation — if an app is making money, the market exists
• Don't copy 1:1, but study what works and build your version
• Spend 5-10 minutes daily scrolling with intention

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Why TikTok? (And Why You're Missing Out)

Let's kill a myth first.

"Gen Z doesn't have money."

Wrong.

They spend $20K-30K+ on college yearly. They buy games. They shop online. They subscribe to apps.

Study apps, lifestyle apps, self-improvement apps — they're all printing money right now. And where does Gen Z spend their time?

TikTok.

If you're building apps without scrolling TikTok, you're building blind. You're creating what you want, not what the market wants.

And that's how you end up with:

• No demand
• No retention
• Zero sales

Let's fix that.

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Step 1: Download TikTok and Train the Algorithm

This sounds obvious. But most builders skip it because they think TikTok is "just for kids."

Bro. That's exactly where your customers are.

Your goal isn't entertainment. It's market research.

Here's how to train the algorithm:

1. Create a fresh account (or use your existing one)
2. Follow accounts in niches you want to build for — fitness, productivity, self-improvement, finance
3. Engage with content — like, comment, save videos that show trends
4. Skip anything that's pure entertainment with no actionable insight

Within a few days, your For You Page becomes a trend-detection machine.

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Step 2: Scroll With Intention (5-10 Minutes Daily)

This isn't mindless scrolling. This is hunting.

When you scroll, you're looking for:

• Repeated patterns — same topic appearing multiple times? That's a trend.
• Gen Z language — how do they describe problems? What words do they use?
• Pain points — what are they complaining about? What do they wish existed?
• Viral formats — what types of content get millions of views?

Real Example: The Looksmaxxing Trend

One of the biggest trends right now is "looksmaxxing" — improving your physical appearance through exercises, products, and habits.

From this single trend, hundreds of apps were born:

• Jaw improvement trackers
• Skincare routine apps
• "Debloat" planners
• Glow-up challenge apps
• Face rating tools
• Mewing timers

Each of these solves a specific problem within the trend. Each has a built-in audience.

Your job: Spot the trend → Break it into micro-problems → Build an app for one of them.

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Step 3: Use Creator Search Insight (The Secret Weapon)

If you're not lucky enough to catch trends naturally, TikTok has a built-in cheat code.

Creator Search Insight shows you:

• Trending keywords
• Weekly search volume
• What people are actively looking for

How to Access It:

1. Open TikTok
2. Go to the search bar
3. Type "creator search insight"
4. Tap on the feature

Now you're looking at real demand data. Not opinions. Not guesses. Actual searches.

Example: Looksmaxxing Keywords

Search "looksmaxxing" and you'll find:

Keyword	Weekly Searches
"top apps for looksmaxing tips"	276K
"looksmaxxing tips"	331K
"looksmaxxing tutorial"	244K
"how to max out looks"	281K

That's over 1 million weekly searches for one trend.

This isn't a niche. This is a market screaming for solutions.

Pro tip: IndieRadar curates app and SaaS ideas daily from the indie hacker community — including trending opportunities like this. If you want ideas delivered to your inbox instead of hunting yourself, subscribe here — we have a dedicated Ideas section in every digest.

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Step 4: Expand Into Communities

Once you find a trend + keywords, dig deeper.

Search the same keywords on:

• Reddit — find subreddits dedicated to the topic
• Discord — join servers where your audience hangs out
• YouTube — watch videos to understand the problem in depth
• Twitter/X — see what creators are saying

Every piece of content is a potential feature for your app.

What to Look For:

• Common questions — these become FAQ sections or core features
• Frustrations with existing solutions — this is your competitive edge
• Language patterns — use their exact words in your marketing

The goal is to understand the problem so well that you could explain it better than they can.

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Step 5: Find Proof That Money Exists

Here's where most people fail.

They find a trend. They get excited. They start building.

Then they launch and... nobody pays.

The fix: Before you build, find proof that people are already paying for similar solutions.

How to Validate Demand:

1. App Store search — search your keywords, see what apps exist
2. Check revenue estimates — use tools like Sensor Tower, AppMagic, or RevenueCat's public data
3. Read reviews — what do people love? What do they hate?
4. Analyze pricing — what are people willing to pay?

The $90K/Month "Taller" App

There's an app that claims to make you taller. It's doing $90K/month.

Let that sink in.

If that can make $90K, what's stopping you?

When you find an app making money, you didn't find a competitor. You found a money printer with proof.

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Step 6: Reverse-Engineer What Works

Now that you've found a validated market with paying customers, study the winners.

Don't copy 1:1. That's lazy and won't work.

Instead, analyze everything:

What to Study:

• Every screen — screenshot the entire app flow
• Onboarding — how do they hook new users?
• Paywall — when do they ask for money? How do they present it?
• Core features — what's the main value proposition?
• Reviews — what do 5-star reviews praise? What do 1-star reviews hate?
• Ads — check TikTok Ad Library, Facebook Ad Library for their creatives

What to Improve:

• Better design — most apps look outdated within 6 months
• Better UX — remove friction points mentioned in bad reviews
• Better positioning — target a specific sub-audience
• Better price — test different price points
• Better marketing angle — find what they're missing

The best businesses aren't original. They're original enough.

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The Mindset Shift: Competition Is Validation

Most people stop when they see competition.

"Someone already built this."

That's the worst possible reaction.

Competition means:

• ✅ The market exists
• ✅ People are paying
• ✅ The problem is real
• ✅ You don't need to educate the market

No competition means:

• ❌ Maybe nobody wants this
• ❌ Maybe the market is too small
• ❌ You'll need to spend money educating people

Unless you have millions for marketing, entering an existing market is the smartest path.

The goal isn't to be first. It's to be better.

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Alternative Sources (Beyond TikTok)

TikTok is the best source for Gen Z trends, but it's not the only one.

Other Idea Sources:

Source	Best For
Reddit	Niche communities, specific pain points
Product Hunt	SaaS trends, B2B ideas
App Store Charts	What's currently popular
Google Trends	Seasonal trends, rising topics
Twitter/X	Indie hacker trends, real-time insights
Amazon Reviews	Product pain points to solve digitally

The IndieRadar Shortcut

Every day, we curate the best posts from the indie hacker community on X.

Our Ideas category specifically highlights:

• Startup ideas shared by builders
• Emerging trends
• Underserved markets
• Problems looking for solutions

Instead of spending hours hunting, get it delivered daily. Join 10,000+ indie hackers →

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Putting It All Together: The Daily Workflow

Here's your repeatable system:

Daily (5-10 minutes):

1. Scroll TikTok with intention
2. Note any repeated trends or pain points
3. Check Creator Search Insight for keywords

Weekly (1-2 hours):

1. Deep dive into one promising trend
2. Search communities (Reddit, Discord, YouTube)
3. Find existing apps making money
4. Analyze top 3 competitors

When Ready to Build:

1. Pick the trend with clearest demand
2. Identify the gap in existing solutions
3. Build your version (better design, UX, or angle)
4. Launch and iterate

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Building Without Scrolling

If you're not on TikTok, you're guessing what people want.

Mistake 2: Fearing Competition

Competition is validation. No competition is a red flag.

Mistake 3: Copying 1:1

Study what works, but add your own twist. Pure copies rarely win.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Revenue Proof

A trend without paying customers is just hype. Find the money first.

Mistake 5: Overthinking

The best idea you don't build is worth zero. Ship something and iterate.

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FAQ

How long does it take to find a good idea?

With this method, you can identify 2-3 promising trends within a week. Validating (finding revenue proof) takes another few days. So roughly 1-2 weeks from zero to validated idea.

What if I'm not in Gen Z and don't "get" TikTok?

You don't need to be Gen Z. You need to observe Gen Z. Think of yourself as an anthropologist studying a tribe. Watch, learn, take notes.

Can I use this method for SaaS, not just mobile apps?

Absolutely. The principle is the same: go where your audience is, spot trends, find proof of demand. For B2B SaaS, add LinkedIn, Product Hunt, and indie hacker communities to your research mix.

What if I find a trend but can't code?

With vibe coding tools (Cursor, Replit, v0), you can build a functional app in days without deep coding skills. The barrier has never been lower.

How do I know if a trend is too saturated?

Look at the top apps' release dates. If the top 5 apps were all released 3+ years ago, there's room for a modern competitor. If they're all from the last 6 months, you're late.

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The Bottom Line

Stop waiting for the "perfect" idea to strike.

Ideas are everywhere — you just need a system to find them.

The TikTok Method gives you that system:

1. Scroll with intention — 5-10 minutes daily
2. Use Search Insight — find real demand data
3. Validate with revenue — find apps making money
4. Reverse-engineer winners — study what works
5. Build your version — better, not just different

The apps making $90K/month aren't built by geniuses. They're built by people who found a trend, validated demand, and shipped.

That can be you.

Now stop reading and start scrolling.

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