TikTok is preparing to roll out some major changes to its experimental Stories feature, including a rebranding. Noted social media consultant Matt Navarra has discovered that TikTok Stories are now integrated with the main video feed. The company could also rebrand Stories as “Quick.”
According to the recent findings, the TikTok app will no longer feature a separate tab for Stories. Instead, the temporary posts that automatically disappear after 24 hours will find a home alongside other videos on the “For You” page. A blue ‘Stories’ tag will highlight those videos.
With this change, you will now need to tap the video on the main feed to watch Multi-part Stories. Moreover, you can now see anyone’s Stories on TikTok as long as they are uploaded from a public profile. You can also see TikTok users’ Stories on their profiles. Earlier, the visibility of Stories was limited to your followers.
Another change coming to TikTok Stories is how you create them. With the separate tab gone, the company is also integrating this feature into the ‘+’ button. And when you are in camera mode for recording a new video, TikTok refers to Stories as “Quick”. This suggests that the company is planning to entirely rebrand the feature soon.
TikTok is still testing the Stories feature
TikTok announced a pilot testing of the Stories feature in August last year to take on Instagram and Snapchat. Just like the latter two, you can post photos and videos on TikTok Stories, which automatically disappear after 24 hours. But more than five months later, TikTok is still testing Stories. There’s no sight of the feature rolling out publicly.
Meanwhile, the company is now seemingly preparing to change how Stories appear and work. Perhaps these changes are triggered by feedback from users that already have access to the feature. If so, then a public rollout will likely follow the latest change.
Instagram is also making some changes to its version of the Stories feature. The same source recently revealed that the Meta-owned platform is testing a vertical feed of Stories. It is also allowing users to upload Stories up to 60 seconds long in a single video.
Unfortunately. we are awaiting a public rollout of these changes as well. Hopefully, it won’t be a much longer wait now. We will keep a close eye on all these developments and will let you know as and when we have more information.
– Creating a new story is now done via the ‘+’ button instead of via the side bar
– The new stories create mode is called ‘Quick’
– Multi-part stories are viewed in your FYP by tapping the video
– Stories are highlighted in your FYP with a blue ‘Stories’ tag2/4 pic.twitter.com/MR5wbXA4Qc
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) January 17, 2022
2022-01-20 15:05:49