For those who haven't discovered it, now for new opened accounts TikTok ask you your interests just after signup. Obviously such feature is totally missing on TikTok Desktop, like thousand other features only available if you use the phone directly. If you skip this page, you cannot do it later. For previous opened accounts this option is not available.
Keep in mind that the first configuration always need to be done on iPhone, not directly on Macs, otherwise you will not get same results (you get even different foryou suggestions). So it doesn't matter if you do the same things on both devices, with the app you always get better final results compared to TikTok Desktop. For the "subscription feed" obviously there is no difference between Desktop and app. Currently TikTok Desktop is simply idiot for such things. Once all configurations are done and you are starting to get a decent feed, then obviously you can use TikTok Desktop, where your workflows (watching videos, following people, cloning to Discord, etc.) have no limits (except if TikTok turn off the follow button). So you have much more possibilities compared to the huge limited workflow on the TikTok app (except for uploading videos or searching content and music).
Keep in mind that the first configuration always need to be done on iPhone, not directly on Macs, otherwise you will not get same results (you get even different foryou suggestions). So it doesn't matter if you do the same things on both devices, with the app you always get better final results compared to TikTok Desktop. For the "subscription feed" obviously there is no difference between Desktop and app. Currently TikTok Desktop is simply idiot for such things. Once all configurations are done and you are starting to get a decent feed, then obviously you can use TikTok Desktop, where your workflows (watching videos, following people, cloning to Discord, etc.) have no limits (except if TikTok turn off the follow button). So you have much more possibilities compared to the huge limited workflow on the TikTok app (except for uploading videos or searching content and music).