TikTok soft launched its app onto Australian smart TVs, including Samsung, LG, Google and Android TVs, in the same week that government across the country banned the app from its employees devices.

The Chinese social media company initially planned to launch the app on Australian televisions late last year, in conjunction with the US launch, but it was delayed.

TikTok says the TV app is aimed at bringing “family and friends” together to enjoy its content.

“The way people consume content has evolved over the past decade, from spending time watching TV programs together to having entertainment on the go on personal devices,” TikTok Australia’s general manager Lee Hunter said.

“Now we’re bringing shared entertainment back with the launch of TikTok TV.

“From day one, TikTok’s mission has been to inspire creativity and bring joy, cultivating an entertaining space for positive, creative expression, so we’re excited to bring TikTok to living rooms across Australia and New Zealand.”