TikTok is giving customers new methods to work together with others by way of direct messages (DMs), the corporate instructed TechCrunch on Friday. Customers will now have the ability to ship voice notes and share as much as 9 photos or movies in one-to-one and group chats on the platform.
With these new options, TikTok is positioning itself as extra than simply an leisure platform, aiming to turn out to be a spot the place customers work together repeatedly past merely sending one another TikTok movies. Moreover, the brand new capabilities carry TikTok’s messaging expertise extra in step with that of different in style social apps and companies.
With voice notes, customers can file and ship audio messages as much as 60 seconds lengthy. The launch of the function comes as companies like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Apple’s Messages already provide the flexibility to ship voice notes to others by way of DMs.
It is smart for TikTok so as to add voice notes to its DMs, particularly as a rising variety of individuals, notably Gen Z, are embracing the format for communication.
The function is rolling out over the subsequent few weeks, TikTok says.
As for sharing photographs and movies, customers can both take a photograph or video with their digital camera or choose one from their digital camera roll to share it with others. They’ll additionally select the edit the content material earlier than sending it.
For consumer security, individuals can’t ship a picture or video as their preliminary message request. For instance, if somebody messages you for the primary time, they’ll’t ship a photograph or video they’ve taken themselves; they’ll solely share content material already on TikTok.
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Moreover, when somebody chooses to ship a photograph or video, TikTok will remind them to guard their privateness and be conscious of who they’re sending that content material to.
Whereas DMs on TikTok are unavailable to customers beneath the age of 16, the corporate is including protections for customers between the ages of 16 and 18. As an illustration, TikTok has automated methods in place to detect and block photos containing nudity. Because of this the sender might be blocked from sending the nude picture, and the receiver gained’t see the picture in any respect.
Customers above the age of 18 can select to toggle this security function on of their app settings.
TikTok sees the brand new options as a means for customers to precise themselves and join with others in ways in which they’re already accustomed to.
The transfer comes as TikTok has been working to construct out its messaging product. Final 12 months, the platform launched group chats, giving customers the flexibility to speak with as much as 32 individuals without delay. TikTok additionally just lately rolled out Creator Chat Rooms, a devoted area for creators and their followers to attach and work together with one another.
