Because originality is overrated. Or sensitivity around it is. I don’t know.
Either way, this week, TikTok has launched a new option to share a short, text-based “thought” in the app, that’s then displayed in a speech bubble type display on your Stories bubble at the top of your inbox.
As you can see in this example, shared by Jonah Manzano, some TikTok users are now being prompted to add a thought, which is then displayed in their inbox in the top Stories feed.
It’s also shown on your profile image:
Look familiar?
That’s because it’s essentially Instagram Notes, under a different name, and in a different app.
Yes, TikTok’s essentially copying IG’s Notes option, which has been a hit with younger users. But TikTok can’t call its version “Notes” because that’s what it’s already named its separate photo sharing app, which you might argue is also a replica of IG.
I mean, it’s not really, the format and UI are different. But the focus on sill images harks back to Instagram’s history, and could be viewed as another effort by TikTok to branch into what’s traditionally been Instagram’s territory.
But really, both TikTok and IG are pretty much the same app these days anyway.
Sure, people use both TikTok and IG differently, and different audiences will gravitate towards one or the other. But with 50% of the content you see on Instagram now coming via AI recommendations, which are predominantly video clips, the two are very similar in their offerings. Though TikTok’s algorithm is still a little better at responding to your interests.
But the two apps have been copying each other back and forth for so long now that feature replication almost expected, so it’s no surprise to see TikTok also incorporating IG Notes into its experience.
So will it work?
I mean, it has on IG, according to Meta’s reporting anyway, and that may well indicate that it’ll be a winner for TikTok as well. So why not add it, and at the least, try it out?
TikTok’s currently testing the new option out with some users.
