TikTok has announced that it will be discontinuing its TikTok Now feature, a clone of the popular app BeReal. This news comes as users have been receiving notifications on the platform about the discontinuation. Several Twitter users have shared screenshots of the message in different languages, revealing ByteDance’s decision to update the TikTok experience and remove TikTok Now. However, the exact date of its disappearance is still unknown.
TikTok Now was launched in September with the aim of fostering genuine and spontaneous connections on the platform, similar to BeReal. However, it was difficult to ignore the striking resemblance between the two features. BeReal gained immense popularity last year, making the similarities between TikTok Now and BeReal hard to ignore.
While BeReal focused solely on capturing still photos, TikTok Now took it a step further by allowing users to capture up to 10-second-long videos using the front and back cameras of their phones. In the US, TikTok Now was integrated into the main TikTok app, while a dedicated TikTok Now app was launched in other regions worldwide. Notably, social media consultant Matt Navarra confirmed receiving the notification within the main TikTok app on iOS.
Although TikTok hasn’t provided an official reason for discontinuing TikTok Now, the decline in BeReal’s popularity might be a contributing factor. The New York Times reported a significant decrease in BeReal’s daily active users, with a 61 percent drop between October 2022 and March 2023, according to third-party data. User numbers reportedly plummeted from approximately 15 million to under six million. BeReal has disputed these figures, claiming to have over 20 million daily active users worldwide. However, anecdotally, mentions of BeReal on social media platforms have reduced, indicating a waning interest in the app.
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TikTok wasn’t the only social media platform experimenting with BeReal-style features. Snapchat launched its own dual-camera feature in August, which offered more editing and layout options compared to BeReal. Additionally, Instagram has been testing its own version of the feature called “Candid Stories.” These imitation features are often referred to as “murder clones,” as they represent attempts by dominant social media apps to imitate unique features introduced by their competitors to retain their user base.
As of now, TikTok has not responded to requests for comment regarding the discontinuation of TikTok Now. The support page for TikTok Now on their website has not been updated to reflect the shutdown either.
Overall, the decision to discontinue TikTok Now suggests that the platform is adapting its offerings to match changing user preferences and to remain competitive in the dynamic landscape of social media. By removing a feature that closely resembled an already declining app, TikTok aims to prioritize innovation and deliver an authentic and engaging experience to its users.
