Not just videos anymore: Tiktok attacks Instagram with new photo feature

In the past, Instagram in particular copied functions from the Chinese video platform Tiktok. Recently, Instagram had approached the video portal with a new algorithm: users saw more and more randomized content in their feed instead of just posts from accounts they follow.

The reel function on Instagram, where users can upload short clips, has of course been taken over from Tiktok – originally Instagram was purely a photo medium, but it is gradually moving away from that.

Tiktok introduces photo mode

Now, however, Tiktok is reintroducing exactly this original Instagram feature: users can now upload photos to the platform individually or as part of a carousel format – just like Instagram. The Chinese group writes on its own blog: “If you prefer to express yourself in formats other than videos, we have introduced Photo Mode, a new carousel format for photo content, ideal for sharing high-quality images on Tiktok”.

There must be a difference with Instagram: you can add music as a soundtrack to the photos on Tiktok. The images in the carousel post are actually automatically displayed one after the other. However, users can also browse through it at their own pace.

In addition, longer descriptions should now be possible: you can now use a maximum of 2200 characters per contribution. “With the extra space, we hope creators have a little more room to build on the stories they’ve shared in videos or in photo mode,” explains Tiktok.

Furthermore, the company was relatively short about the new update, although it is the first time Tiktok has actively borrowed and copied a feature from Instagram. At a time when numerous platforms are increasingly focusing on videos rather than photos, the “Photo Mode” comes as quite a surprise.

Instagram wants to place more ads

While Tiktok is still criticized by many, it may now become more difficult to continue to bypass the social media app. Especially now that the company Meta announced in a blog post that it will place even more ads on Instagram.

They cap off the update, which users probably won’t like, with a nice caption: “To help businesses tell their stories and reach new customers, we’re introducing new ad placements and formats.” Given this fact and with the new Tiktok feature, users could now potentially decide to switch from Instagram to Tiktok.