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Instagram took inspiration from Twitter to make Threads; well, TikTok took inspiration from Instagram to make its new platform. TikTok just launched Notes, its Instagram-inspired social media platform that prioritizes sharing images.
This is a bit ironic. TikTok swooped in and basically defined an entire genre of vertically scrolling videos. Thus, Instagram made a hard pivot toward video content. Now, we got the news that TikTok wants to take a step backward and bring forth a photo-sharing app.
We’ve been covering news and leaks about this platform for a bit. We even saw an early prototype of the logo. However, that logo did not become the final one.
TikTok launches Notes, its Instagram-style photo-sharing app
Right now, we don’t have too much information about how this app is going to work. It’s currently only available to select users on Android and iOS. Also, it is only in the Canadian market for the time being. So, this appears to be a limited test to see how people like it. In any case, we expect it to hit other markets soon.
When you get the app, you will be able to sign in using your TikTok account. As for the interface, it looks like you will receive content via a two-column grid. This will contrast it from the one column that you get with Instagram. Whether that’s better or worse remains to be seen.
You will see the images with the captions under them. The captions can be fairly large before getting cut off. One caption reads “Dive into the heart of the city that never sleeps and create memories that will…” before getting cut off. Under the caption, you will see the account name and profile picture with the “like” count at the far right of the image.
How the app works
Like any social media platform, you will have the option to comment and otherwise interact with the posts. When you tap on a post, it will fill the top half of the screen. The bottom half of the screen will show the title and caption of the post along with the comments. At the bottom of the screen, you will see the comment text field, “Likes”, and the view comments button.
Much like Instagram, you are able to make photo carousels in TikTok Notes. It allows you to post several photos at once that the viewer will be able to flip through. While making your carousel, you have the option to choose an image for the cover image.
The post editing screen is pretty straightforward. You have the option to edit the photos within the app, choose who can see the post, and save the post draft for later.
As TikTok Notes makes it to more people, we’re going to learn more about this app’s functionality. So, stay tuned for this app to reach your area as time goes on.