TikTok Launches ‘TikTok Now,’ Its BeReal Clone

Source: TikTok

TikTok has launched TikTok Now, its BeReal clone, to little surprise.

Like BeReal, the feature sends users a daily prompt, encouraging them to share what they are doing using their front and back cameras via a 10-second video or static photo.

TikTok also has a few safety and privacy options that allow creators to control who can view or engage with their content, such as limiting content to just their Friends instead of the broader TikTok Now community. Additionally, creators can report or block users and choose what comments appear on their content.

“TikTok Now is the newest way to be entertained and connect with others on TikTok - a daily photo and video experience to share your most authentic moments with the people who matter the most. TikTok Now brings the authenticity of TikTok to a whole new creative experience that connects you with those closest to you,” TikTok said in a press release.

By launching TikTok Now, TikTok helps answer the long-debated question of whether BeReal is an app or simply a feature. With TikTok joining Instagram and Snapchat in offering similar experiences to BeReal, the French start-up appears to be just an app. Additionally, it is on a similar trajectory to the Stories content format, where all social media platforms will eventually have a BeReal-like feature.

The massive user bases and robust resources that major social media players like Instagram and TikTok have make it extremely difficult for new platforms to break through. It is especially true today, when platforms launch copycat features to keep people on their apps rather than their competitors'.