BeReal has truly taken social media by storm, so much so, TikTok have released a similar version known as ‘TikTok Now’. In 2022, BeReal became hugely popular, each user takes one picture a day (front and back camera) of what they are doing in that exact moment when the notification goes off. Friends set up responses and will post these based on their reaction to the picture. TikTok have seen the popularity of the app BeReal, therefore in their latest update, on the 15th of November 2022, the app introduced TikTok Now to every user.
TikTok Now works when a user gets a notification to take a photo. The app, then gives the user three minutes and the chance to take a photo or a ten- second video. Just like BeReal, TikTok Now also uses the front and back camera at the same time. When a user presses the button, they’ll take a selfie and a real camera photo.
For a user to see a friends TikTok Now, the user would have to post one also. You cannot see any other TikTok Now until you post, which is different to BeReal. Also, once posting your TikTok Now of the day you can see other people’s appear on your For You Page. If you post it after the three allocated minutes, it will be labelled as late on the top of the post to inform other users.
On the TikTok website it states “TikTok Now is the newest way to be entertained and connect with others on TikTok.” TikTok also mention they are looking to build ‘authentic connections’ as they try to improve the app and keep its huge audience, whilst keeping the app relevant.
TikTok was launched in 2016 by Chinese company ByteDance. The app has been a roaring success with it being downloaded three billion times. It was also the most downloaded app in 2021. TikTok has been an excellent place for artists to gain traction on their music. Musician Sam Ryder’s song Spaceman blew up on the app, giving him recognition to eventually perform for the United Kingdom during the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin.
TikTok Now is a permanent feature and cannot be removed. However, the notification can be turned off via settings. Also, a user can still use TikTok and scroll through the For You Page without posting a TikTok Now. The company has been making efforts to promote the idea of this new function, by sending many notifications and reminders of the feature. In a recent update of the app, users can now find a new button located in the bottom of their screens, which allows them to access the new and ‘exciting’ function of the app.