TikTok could be stepping up to compete against YouTube (Credit: Getty)

TikTok has started giving certain users around the world access to videos in landscape format.

It’s believed this could be a step towards competing with YouTube for total dominance of internet video.

TikTok is the fastest growing social media site among young people and is mostly known for popularising portrait videos. But YouTube remains the web’s biggest video site and offers both short and long-form content.

As TikTok faces fresh calls to be banned in certain countries like the US and Australia, the Chinese app appears to be attempting to diversify its offering.

The select users who have access to landscape mode reportedly see a new ‘full screen’ button on square or rectangular videos in their feed.

Clicking the button takes them into a horizontal mode and requires them to rotate their phone.

Earlier this year, TikTok it also announced it would start hosting videos up to 10 minutes long. Perhaps in an attempt to woo creators who would normally post to YouTube.

Do you prefer spending time on TikTok or YouTube? (Credits: Getty Images)

Of course, Google’s platform is also doing what it can to compete with TikTok. In September, YouTube announced that creators could start earning revenue from Shorts, it’s TikTok clone.

‘I’m proud to say this is the first time real revenue sharing is being offered for short-form video on any platform at scale,’ said YouTube chief product officer Neal Mohan at the time.

TikTok currently can’t offer the same money-making enticements. Only the top 4 per cent of all videos on TikTok can be monetised through the TikTok Pulse program.

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The viral app wants to take on the web’s video heavyweight.