ByteDance has begun rolling out its Instagram rival, TikTok Notes, to select users in Australia and Canada. According to its announcement post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the new photo-sharing app is available for Android and iOS devices, though there’s no word on when it will see worldwide distribution at this time.
“We hope that the TikTok community will use TikTok Notes to continue sharing their moments through photo posts,” the platform wrote on X. “Whether documenting adventures, expressing creativity, or simply sharing snapshots of one’s day, the TikTok Notes experience is designed for those who would like to share and engage through photo content.”
/2 We hope that the TikTok community will use TikTok Notes to continue sharing their moments through photo posts. Whether documenting adventures, expressing creativity, or simply sharing snapshots of one's day, the TikTok Notes experience is designed for those who would like to… pic.twitter.com/KPXJqbaOdG
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) April 17, 2024
Based on the screenshots provided in Apple App Store and Google Play, TikTok Notes will feature two feeds: For You, and Following. This mirrors the main app, where users will be greeted with single images or carousels of multiple photos, with content appearing based on which feed is currently active.
What sets TikTok Notes apart from Instagram is its feed layout, which offers a two-column grid that fits multiple photos of varying aspect ratios on-screen. Users will also be able to write headlines, which will appear above the captions for each post.
For years now, competing platforms have been altering their own offerings to directly take on TikTok by introducing short-form video content to their users. That said, the rollout of a photo-sharing app marks the first time that the ByteDance-owned social media platform is taking cues from its rivals. Whether it will actually be better than Instagram, however, remains to be seen.
(Source: TikTok, via X)
