TikTok Is Secretly Building A Photo-Sharing App To Rival Instagram
Photo 265002148 © Foundfootage | Dreamstime.com
TikTok might be coming for your travel selfies. The social media app whose domain has been viral short-form videos is purportedly gearing up to launch a new app called ‘TikTok Photos’, setting its sights on becoming a photo-sharing contender against the reigning champ, Meta’s Instagram.
This intel comes courtesy of app researcher AssembleDebug of The SpAndroid, who found some telling lines of code referencing a “TikTok Photos” in the latest update of the TikTok app.
A logo for the app has also surfaced, sporting a look that’s in harmony with the familiar TikTok aesthetic but introduces a stylized ‘P’ emblem, suggesting an emphasis on photography.
🔥 Exclusive: Tiktok is working on a new Photo Sharing platform to compete with Instagram
— AssembleDebug (@AssembleDebug) March 11, 2024
📠Read - https://t.co/WI2iyZE9Dj#Tiktok #Android #News #Tech pic.twitter.com/PQ2n4UNiTx
Instead of moving pictures, TikTok Photos is expected to focus solely on capturing and sharing still moments. The leaked information hints at a synchronization between the two separate apps, where images can be cross-posted. This move could address the photo-sharing dynamics on TikTok, which, until now, has catered to photos through slideshow-style videos without a specific feature for stills.
Other breadcrumbs found in the app’s code include prompts like “Open TikTok Photos” and “Share this post to TikTok Photos.”
While mum’s the word from the TikTok camp regarding an official launch date, the evidence in the code suggests an impending debut. Expect it to be available on both Android and iOS when the time comes.
[via Forbes, 9to5Mac, Android Police, images via various sources]
