TikTok's Parent Company Eyes Instagram Rival with "TikTok Photos"

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, seems to be gearing up to introduce a new social media platform centered around photos, amidst ongoing debates among lawmakers regarding the fate of TikTok in the United States.

A recent report has unveiled plans for "TikTok Photos," a photo-centric app that could potentially rival Instagram, as indicated by code findings within the latest version of TikTok's Android app.

The discovery, made by app sleuth AssembleDebug, reveals that ByteDance aims to launch TikTok Photos in the near future.

The new platform is anticipated to offer users a fresh avenue for sharing photos online, presenting a significant expansion for the Chinese video-sharing giant.

Notably, the code hints at seamless integration between TikTok and TikTok Photos, enabling users to synchronize their photo posts across both platforms.

The uncovered text suggests that TikTok users will receive prompts within the app, encouraging them to share their photo content on TikTok Photos.

TikTok Photos will be launched soon, we hope to help you gain new audiences in the new app. If the switch is on, we'll sync your public photos to the new app, whether you close the pop-up or not.

The message indicates that even if users dismiss the pop-up, their public photos may still be automatically synced to the new platform, indicating a concerted effort by ByteDance to establish a foothold in the photo-sharing sphere.

Source: Paul Monckton / Forbes