TikTok has announced that it will be discontinuing TikTok Now, a feature that mimicked the popular social media app BeReal. According to a report from The Verge, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is updating the TikTok experience and discontinuing TikTok Now. Screenshots shared by users confirmed the news.
BeReal won Apple’s iPhone app of the year for 2022, but its popularity has declined recently. Unlike other social media apps, BeReal took a unique approach by sending notifications at different times each day to prompt users to quickly share photos taken with their device’s front and rear cameras simultaneously. The idea was to create spontaneous content centered around friends.
TikTok Now essentially followed the same approach as BeReal, requiring users to take front and rear photos at the same time. However, it added the ability to create 10-second TikTok-like videos instead of just photos. When it was launched, the company aimed to foster authentic and spontaneous connections on TikTok.
While TikTok Now was incorporated into the main app in the US, it was also available as a standalone app in other regions. The message sent to TikTok users in the US indicated that the feature would be removed from the main app, but there is no information about the fate of the separate TikTok Now app.
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Shortly after the success of BeReal, other social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat introduced dual-camera features. However, the number of BeReal users has reportedly declined, according to a report from The New York Times in April. The app refuted an analytics report suggesting a significant drop in user numbers, claiming to still have 20 million daily active users.
It is worth mentioning that the discontinuation of TikTok Now comes at a time when social media platforms are constantly evolving to meet users’ changing preferences and interests. Features that may have been popular in the past can quickly lose their appeal as competitors introduce new and innovative functionalities.
As TikTok users receive the news about the discontinuation of TikTok Now, many are likely to wonder about the future of similar features within the app. It is uncertain whether TikTok will replace TikTok Now with a new feature or incorporate its functionalities into the main app. Additionally, users in regions where the standalone TikTok Now app is available may be curious about its future.
The decision to discontinue TikTok Now could be seen as a strategic move by TikTok to prioritize and focus on other features or developments within the app. By streamlining its offerings, TikTok may be able to allocate more resources to enhance existing features or develop new ones that align with the evolving preferences of its user base.
Ultimately, the success or failure of social media features depends on how well they resonate with users and fulfill their needs. While BeReal and TikTok Now initially gained attention and popularity, maintaining user engagement in the long term can be challenging. As the social media landscape continues to evolve, developers must continuously evaluate and update their offerings to keep users interested and satisfied.
In conclusion, TikTok has decided to discontinue TikTok Now, a feature that closely resembled the popular social media app BeReal. The decision comes as TikTok aims to update its user experience. The decline in user numbers and the evolving preferences of users may have influenced this decision. As users receive the news, they may have questions about the future of similar features within TikTok and its impact on their experience. The discontinuation of TikTok Now could potentially free up resources for TikTok to improve existing features or introduce new ones that better align with users’ interests. In the dynamic world of social media, staying relevant and appealing to users is essential for long-term success.
