UNO Reverse: TikTok challenges Instagram with 'copied' Photo Mode feature
What's the story
TikTok, Gen Z's favorite social media app, has decided to beat Instagram at its own game.
And what's that game, you might ask. It is blatantly copying features from other apps. Instagram is known for this.
Now, TikTok has played a UNO reverse card. TikTok's 'Photo Mode' which lets users share multiple still photos in a post certainly reminds us of Instagram.
Context
Why does this story matter?
We have witnessed something we thought we never will. TikTok has copied one of Instagram's features. It feels weird to say that out loud.
We know this has caught you by surprise. We were too. Take a breather and slowly process what you just read.
Is TikTok heading the photo-sharing way now that Instagram has its mind set on becoming TikTok 2.0?
Feature
Users can add music in 'Photo Mode'
TikTok's new 'Photo Mode' allows users to post multiple photos in a post and create a slideshow. Users can also add a caption of up to 2,200 characters along with the post.
This carousel of images displays one picture after another, automatically. The 'Photo Mode' is not available on the web version.
Users can also add soundtracks to the images.
Information
An alternative to expressing yourself in just video: TikTok
"For when you'd prefer to express yourself in formats other than video, we released Photo Mode, a new carousel format available on mobile for photo content that's ideal for sharing high quality images on TikTok," the company said.
Baffling
'Photo Mode' posts will appear on 'For You' page
The posts made in the 'Photo Mode' will appear alongside videos on the 'For You' page. This makes the page look more like Instagram than TikTok.
In a world where everyone is focusing on videos more than photos, TikTok's choice to go with photos is baffling at the least. The fact that the Chinese company copied its arch-rival makes everything all the more interesting.
Why?
What does TikTok's new feature mean for Instagram?
Maybe TikTok is seeing something we're not seeing. Maybe 'Photo Mode' is the company's attempt to lure those who denounce the app.
Maybe the sneaky move is to unsettle Instagram. Not that it's any hard. The Meta-owned company is in the middle of an identity crisis.
It is searching for answers, and this move by TikTok is only going to prolong that search.