Are you still going to TikTok to watch and maybe share short videos? Soon there’ll be more to it. In the latest announcement, TikTok stated that it would add support for still images as well. This looks like trespassing Instagram’s border – but no more of that than Meta did by introducing Reels on both Instagram and Facebook.
The introduction of still photos was announced on the official TikTok blog on October 6. Though the illustration TikTok put on that post looks incredibly like Instagram, the developers also highlight some differences. First, if you upload multiple photos in one post, they will automatically display in looped mode. Second, you can add music to this carousel – just like you do to TikTok regular videos.
Previously, TikTok offered over a hundred video effects to use on up to three photos, so they wouldn’t look like a regular collage. Yet this new mode is a huge step ahead. Of course, you can choose just one photo and no music; than what you get is plain Insta. It’s not clear whether this mode will be as popular as short videos, but it’s a great step to let Instagram know that two can play this game.
As for captions, now they can be up to 2.200 characters long. You can fill them all with hashtags, pursuing the trends, or tell long stories. If you prefer the latter, you have just chosen to make TikTok the second Facebook.
Also, TikTok introduced more powerful video editing tools, like editing clips and sounds, adding overlays, adjusting the speed of your videos, or using sound effects. It’s still optimized for better mobile use, yet you’ll feel at more ease with the built-in editor of TikTok and maybe won’t even have to use CapCut.
What do you think about this feature? Will you upload pictures to TikTok like you upload videos, and will you enjoy seeing still pictures in your feed, even if they are replacing one another to some music? And what about longer texts: is TikTok a place for reading? Share what you think about it in the comments!