TikTok is launching a dual camera feature akin to BeReal's popular daily photo prompt.
TikTok Now, the company said in a blog post Thursday, will
send users daily prompts to capture and post 10-second videos or static photos
using their devices’ front and back cameras.
The company described the feature, which it will be testing
“in the coming weeks," as "a daily photo and video experience to
share your most authentic moments with the people who matter the most."
TikTok is the latest company to try to replicate the
"authenticity" element of BeReal, which is partly what has made it so
popular.
The app, which was founded in January 2020, prompts users to
post daily status updates by taking photos with both the front and back
cameras. The prompts appear at different times every day, and users have a
two-minute window to post before they can see their friends’ posts. Some users
have said BeReal offers a respite from other social media apps that can be more
curated.
In July, Instagram announced Dual, a Reels feature that
allows users to simultaneously record videos with the front and back cameras. In
August, Meta confirmed that Instagram was also prototyping a similar feature
called IG Candid, The Verge reported, which would randomly prompt users to post
a photo every day.
In its post, TikTok described the feature as "the
newest way to be entertained and connect with others on TikTok."
“TikTok Now brings the authenticity of TikTok to a whole new
creative experience that connects you with those closest to you," it said.
Users in the U.S. will be able to access TikTok Now from the
TikTok app. Outside the U.S., TikTok Now might be available as a separate app.
Anyone under age 16 who creates a TikTok Now account will
have a private profile by default, as with TikTok’s standard app. Users under
18 will not be able to share their content to the Explore page, and users under
15 will be limited to commenting only on their friends’ posts.
"We’re always looking to create seamless ways for our
community to build authentic connections as they continue to be entertained on
TikTok," TikTok said