In the fast-moving world of social media apps, you die a hero (see: Vine) or live long enough to see yourself go the way of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even LinkedIn — and knock off Snapchat’s primary feature. That is, adding a stories function that allows the user to make posts which vanish after 24 hours, and now Tiktok is following suit.
“TikTok Stories” — described by the app as “a new way to interact with your fans” — will live in a new sidebar within the app, where stories posted by accounts that you follow will be visible for a day before being automatically deleted. These stories will also be accessible from users’ profiles, just like on Instagram et al., and users will be able to react and comment on them too.
According to The Verge: “Users can create a new story by tapping a “create” button that’s been added to the sidebar, and they can add the usual captions, music, and text. True to TikTok’s video-first nature, it seems stories have to be videos, not still images.”
Speaking to Variety, a representative for TikTok confirmed yesterday that a small pilot test for TikTok Stories was indeed underway, though this is happening in various countries outside of the US, and the stories function may not become a permanent feature of the platform.
“We’re always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience,” reads the company’s statement to Variety. “Currently we’re experimenting with ways to give creators additional formats to bring their creative ideas to life for the TikTok community.” Okay, okay. Give us a close friends function or give us death!
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