Since April 17th, TikTok has been rolling out a new image-sharing app similar to Instagram in Canada and Australia. It’s called TikTok Notes. We’ve gathered initial impressions from web professionals who’ve tried it out.
TikTok Notes features a news feed with two columns of photos, allowing users to see multiple images at once on the screen, unlike Instagram, which scrolls through images one by one.
“We hope the TikTok community will use TikTok Notes to continue sharing moments through photo posts,” explains the Chinese company on the X platform. “Whether it’s documenting adventures, expressing creativity, or simply sharing a candid moment, the TikTok Notes experience is designed to share and engage through photo content.”
To kickstart its usage, TikTok is asking users on the “parent” platform for permission to upload all their visual content to the new app. So, the initial carousel is already well stocked.
“I struggled to imagine what added value the new app would offer, but seeing photo posts in multiple slides, I think it makes sense!” announces Claire Aboudarham, a communication and marketing specialist, on LinkedIn. “It strongly reminds me of We Heart It, a mix of Pinterest and Tumblr from the late 2000s.”
However, she regrets that TikTok subscriptions aren’t transferred to the new app, similar to what Instagram did with Threads.
“We’re starting from scratch! Tough break for creators with a significant following on the parent app. Especially, will creators with a large following take the time to rebuild their presence on a new platform when they can continue posting on TikTok as if nothing has changed?”
A Clash of Titans
With this launch, it seems clear that TikTok is aiming to challenge Instagram’s market.
“At this stage, it feels like we’re entering a clash of titans between TikTok and Instagram,” announces Alexis Michel, a social media strategist. “It’s hard to say at this point if the public will embrace it, but we’ve already seen TikTok’s power and influence with short-form video content, which was later adopted by everyone else. TikTok knows how to attract people to its platform.”
The strategist highlights TikTok’s powerful search engine, more effective than Instagram’s.
“TikTok Notes could almost become a real lever for indexing content over a longer term via search. It could attack Instagram, obviously, but also Pinterest,” he points out.
Claire Aboudarham, reached via email, also draws attention to the fact that TikTok, through this announcement, is aiming to position itself as a search engine.
“More and more people are using social media as a search tool today. A photo and text application will allow for even more captions, keywords, and alternative texts, so it will boost SEO. It will be even easier to find answers to your questions on TikTok,” she believes.
Claire Aboudarham recalls that TikTok isn’t new to attempts to establish itself as a “2.0” search engine. Business Insider had mentioned discussions between TikTok and Google for a potential partnership that would directly integrate Google’s answers into the social platform.
“TikTok is a war machine that understands how the search system works. I have no doubt they know exactly what they’re doing by releasing this new app! We’ll see how it goes in the near future!”
Alexis Michel has a more moderate enthusiasm.
“I believe in it more than Threads already,” he says. “However, I think this launch is more about gaining market share from competitors than truly sparking a revolution, as was the case with TikTok. But let’s see what the future holds!”
