TikTok might be considering a brand-new method to handle Instagram, with a brand-new “TikTok Photos” app supposedly in advancement. As reported by The SpAndroid, in the back-end code of the present TikTok app, some brand-new referrals to “TikTok Photos” have actually appeared within the code strings. The code appears to recommend that TikTok users will quickly be triggered to share their still images to the brand-new app, in order to “reach similar individuals who delight in image posts”. There’s likewise, obviously, a brand-new welcome message for the app:” TikTok Photos will be introduced quickly, we intend to assist you acquire brand-new audiences in the brand-new app. If the switch is on, we’ll sync your public images to the brand-new app, whether you close the pop-up or not.” The addition of a different TikTok Photos app is not excessively unexpected, considered that TikTok has actually currently included a “image mode” for still images in-stream, and has actually been motivating users to publish more pictures of late. It likewise makes good sense in the context of Chinese app patterns. China’s own variation of Instagram is the Tencent-backed Xiaohongshu, which has actually seen huge success of late after including eCommerce functions. Xiaohongshu produced more than $500 million in earnings in 2023, far going beyond expectations for the platform, and now has more than 200 million active users in the country. Douyin, the Chinese variation of TikTok, has actually likewise been highlighting still image posts, though it relatively hasn’t seen this as a crucial concern. Possibly, now that Xiaohongshu is making huge cash, and broadening on its eCommerce capacity, that’s now triggered TikTok owner ByteDance to make a larger push on this component. Will it work? Well, it’s difficult to see how an Instagram equivalent will contend in markets where IG itself exists however possibly, as a growth of TikTok’s in-stream shopping push, there might be something there, which might make it a more practical job. And ByteDance has actually revealed a determination to explore brand-new apps, consisting of Lemon8, which likewise looks quite like Instagram, though with a clear eCommerce tilt. Lemon8 drew substantial interest rapidly after its U.S. launch early in 2015, however has actually relatively lost momentum of late. Perhaps, a TikTok-branded image app would fare much better, and help with more chances in Western markets. And possibly, considered that TikTok is dealing with a restriction when again in the U.S., it wishes to get it out now, in order to check the waters before a restriction is enacted. There’s not a load to go on yet, however the indications do recommend that ByteDance might be wanting to improve its eCommerce appeal through an image-based app.
TikTok’s Reportedly Testing a New Instagram-Like ‘TikTok Photos’ App
