TikTok Testing New “Notes” Photo App To Rival Instagram
I don’t know about you, but keeping up with new apps has become a part-time job. This is especially true if you consider yourself to be a content creator. You may have seen on your TikTok “For You” page that the platform is planning to release a new photo-sharing app that could take on Instagram. I didn’t personally receive it, but some users received a notification from TikTok that says it’s launching “a new app for photo posts” called TikTok Notes, as reported by TechCrunch.
Chat And Murmur About Notes
Forbes reported that TikTok is already testing the new Instagram rival. They said that when trying to share photo posts to the app, some users have reported a pop-up notification informing them photos will also be posted on a platform “coming soon” called TikTok Notes, with an option to opt-out of the cross-platform sharing.
A site called notes.tiktok.com is currently live online with a nonfunctioning “open app” button that teases posts featuring a still photo and caption, much like the posts that Instagram features.
BBC reported that the platform is working on a “dedicated space” for photos and text but has not finalized the design of the Notes app or confirmed a release date.
TechCrunch also reported that TikTok is looking to support text posts similar to X, formerly known as Twitter, and Meta-owned Threads. They’re also looking into experimenting with 30-minute-long videos, similar to YouTube.
Photos Get You Traction on TikTok
Some users speculate that TikTok is currently favoring photo carousels in the algorithm. LinkedIn reported that the platform wants us to pivot to photos. They said TikTok is encouraging people to post photo carousels versus video, promising to “help you reach even more people.” They added, “According to TikTok, photo posts can get 2.9x more comments, 1.9x more likes, 2.6x more shares on average than videos.”
User Reactions
I’m excited to see what it may look like. Lately, it seems like many platforms are going back to the basics with simple, organic, and engaging posts. But I will admit that another app taking up storage on my phone and trying to keep up with yet another app presents its own challenges.
Some people took to Reddit to share their thoughts about Notes. “We need a new OG Instagram so I’m down for this!” one person said. Instagram went through some major changes after being bought by Facebook’s parent company Meta in 2012. “I wonder what effect this will have in the photo sharing trends on tik tok,” another person wrote. Now, I’m curious if the algorithms on Notes will work the same as TikTok’s current setup. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Threads: Celebrities Join Threads - The 'Twitter Killer' App
Threads, the Twitter alternative created by Meta, has been officially released and gained ten million sign-ups within its first seven hours, as confirmed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The platform has already garnered significant support from various celebrities.
If you take a peek at Threads, you’ll notice that it shamelessly resembles Twitter. It’s no secret that Meta is aiming to lure users away from Elon Musk’s struggling platform. The site made its grand debut, poised to give Twitter a run for its money in a way that previous alternatives like Mastodon and Bluesky couldn’t quite achieve.
The “Twitter Killer” App
Created by the Instagram team, this fresh app offers a platform for sharing text updates and participating in public conversations. With this app, you have the freedom to create posts up to 500 characters in length, incorporating links, photos, and videos that can be up to 5 minutes long.
Since Musk assumed control of Twitter late last year, numerous Twitter users have expressed their desire for an alternative platform. Technical glitches and frequent policy changes have prompted some prominent Twitter users to seek greener pastures elsewhere.
Meta has a distinct advantage in terms of its existing user base. With over 2 billion active Instagram users worldwide, Meta aims to attract a significant portion of them to its new app. In contrast, Twitter’s active user base stands at approximately 250 million.
Zuckerberg’s hopeful
“It’ll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it,” Zuckerberg said in a Threads post. “Twitter has had the opportunity do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will.”
The roster of celebrity names jumping on board continues to grow. Shakira, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, and Kourtney Kardashian, have started accounts. So has Will Smith, and Jennifer Lopez, who have all hopped on the Threads and already have tens of thousands of followers.
Thanks to the carryover of usernames and verification from Instagram, Threads can effortlessly assemble an impressive lineup of famous faces and brands. And it’s not just Hollywood stars joining the party. Jack Harlow, Zayn Malik, Gordon Ramsay, Karlie Kloss, Liam Payne, Ellie Goulding, and even the Dalai Lama have been spotted logging on to the app.
Take a look at celebrity posts extending a warm welcome to the new app.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
