The popular short-form video social media app, TikTok, is now entering the realm of text-based content, putting it in competition with platforms like Threads and Twitter. In a departure from its usual focus on short videos, TikTok is now allowing users to create posts that contain only text.
This recent update is part of the ongoing changes in the social media landscape. Twitter recently rebranded itself as X, and Meta introduced Threads, a new text-based social media app, earlier this month.
Aims to expand content creation possibilities
TikTok made the announcement about the text-only format in a blog post on Monday night, although some users claimed they had access to it as early as June. According to the company’s blog post, the addition of text posts aims to expand content creation possibilities for all TikTok users, providing a dedicated space for the written creativity often seen in comments, captions, and videos.
The new feature on TikTok allows users to create posts without the usual background visuals, such as videos and photos, that the platform is known for. However, there doesn’t seem to be a specific name given to this text-only posting option. Before this update, users could add text over video and image posts, as well as in captions and comments. Some individuals would improvise text-only posts by sharing screenshots of text-focused content from other social media apps and text message conversations, which were not native to TikTok.
With the introduction of text posts, users can customize them in a similar way to video and photo posts, using music, background colors, and stickers. They can also tag other users and add hashtags. The character limit for text posts is up to 1,000 characters, as confirmed by a TikTok spokesperson via email. However, the app will continue to restrict video descriptions to 2,200 characters and comments to 150 characters.
TikTok launches text posts amid Musk’s X rebrand
Gained immense popularity for its visually and audio-focused content
TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, gained immense popularity for its visually and audio-focused content, particularly the short videos of dancing and skits that became synonymous with the app during its early days. The app boasts over one billion monthly users worldwide, including 150 million users in the United States. However, it has faced access restrictions by some local and national governments due to security concerns.
Following significant changes from other leading social media companies, TikTok has also introduced a new format. This week, Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as “X” and initiated the replacement of the company’s well-known bird logo with a new letter logo both online and at their headquarters. As of last July, Twitter reported having over 237 million daily active users.
Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook, recently launched Threads, a Twitter competitor. Threads primarily focus on text-based posts, but users can also share videos and photos. Within less than a week after its release, Threads attracted over 100 million sign-ups, though it remains uncertain whether this early success will be sustained. The introduction of Threads occurred during a period of significant upheaval for Twitter, which has undergone notable changes since its acquisition by Mr. Musk last year.
