TikTok is experimenting with a brand new app just for sharing photos with text updates. It’s called TikTok Notes and it’s now available in Australia and Canada.
“We are in the early stages of experimenting with a dedicated space for photo and text content with TikTok Notes,” the company wrote in an update on X. “We hope the TikTok community will use TikTok Notes to continue sharing their moments through photo posts. Whether it’s documenting adventures, expressing creativity, or simply sharing snapshots of one’s day, the TikTok Notes experience is designed for those who love sharing photo content and want to engage.”
Based on screenshots from the App Store, the app appears to have two feeds like TikTok: a “For You” timeline with recommended content, and a “Following” feed. The posts seem to be very similar to what you see when scrolling through Instagram (at least before TikTok-like videos took over the app): single images or carousels of multiple photos with long captions.
Rumors about the Instagram-like app began circulating last month when reverse engineers discovered clues in TikTok’s code. Some TikTok users also had in-app Notifications about the new service in the last few days.
It’s an interesting moment for TikTok to take on Instagram’s central function. A photo-focused app gives TikTok users a new place to share non-video-based content and potentially reach their existing audience. The company also faces the possibility that its main app could be banned in the United States or embroiled in a lengthy legal battle, so an alternative app could help keep users in the country (TikTok hasn’t said when Notes might be available in the U.S.).
It also comes at a time when many Instagram users are frustrated with meta over the reach of their feed posts. Instagram’s top executive Adam Mosseri regularly responds to frustrated creators in threads about why their feed posts don’t seem to be reaching as many followers as they used to. If TikTok Notes takes off, these creators may actually have a viable alternative to posting photos.
