TikTok imitates BeReal with 'Now' feature
TikTok clones its younger rival's best feature, which has attracted brands with a low-intensity take on social media.
Kass
TikTok has rolled out TikTok Now, imitating the core feature of BeReal, the social media startup known for its simplicity by allowing only one post a day in a limited timeframe. Marketers have been playing around with BeReal, too, and it has become somewhat of an internet darling among creators.
In the spirit of BeReal, TikTok will send users a daily notification to take a photo or video with their front and back cameras to share with friends.
TikTok Now will have a dedicated tab at the bottom of the app, replacing the Friends tab, which TikTok launched earlier this year. Just like BeReal, TikTok users will have to post a daily snapshot to see their friends’ photos or videos. TikTok is also allowing 10-second video posts.
TikTok Now will likely attract brands that are always ready to try new trends as they pop up on the app. Brands such as Chipotle and e.l.f. Cosmetics have already incorporated BeReal into their social strategies. Meanwhile, everyday users have flocked to BeReal, enjoying the friends-only, no-filter, no-ad space. BeReal has been downloaded 28 million times since its launch in 2020, with the vast majority of those downloads happening in 2022, according to Business of Apps. TikTok surpassed 3 billion downloads in July of last year, according to Sensor Tower.
TikTok, like most social media players, has been known to take elements from rivals for product updates. Last year, TikTok launched a version of Stories, videos that disappear in 24 hours, which was popularized by Snapchat and Instagram. Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, borrowed Stories from Snapchat, and Stories became a core ad revenue generator for the company. And Meta, Snapchat and Google have all tried to copy TikTok's algorithm-fueled video feed.
BeReal is the latest social media pioneer to receive the cloning treatment. Instagram appears to be working on IG Candid, which would also send users notifications to create a daily post. Snapchat has a dual camera feature, called, well, Dual Camera, which takes front and back photos and videos, but it doesn't have timed notifications.
TikTok says it’s experimenting with its feature over the coming weeks. TikTok Now will be available in the main app for U.S. users.
