TikTok has launched a still image Photo Mode in what comes as an escalation in the rivalry between the video sharing platform and Instagram.
The new feature looks remarkably like Instagram, users are able to post several images, which are displayed in a carousel format for other users to scroll through and engage with.
Instagram has recently worked on further developing its Reels feature in an effort to emulate the success of TikTok. This new announcement would appear to be a response from TikTok and an attempt to diversify the services it offers.
“For when you’d prefer to express yourself in formats other than video, we released Photo Mode, a new carousel format available on mobile for photo content that’s ideal for sharing high quality images on TikTok.
“Photo Mode allows you to share carousel posts of still images that automatically display one after another. You can add music to soundtrack the images, which viewers can swipe through at their own pace,” TikTok explained.
The platform also confirmed that it has launched a range of new editing tools for videos, while also extending the description character limit from 300 to 2,200.
TikTok explained that this is to encourage users to build stories and express themselves more freely.