• by Colin Kirkland , April 17, 2024

TikTok, which popularized short-form video across the globe, has begun rolling out its new photo-sharing app -- a competitor to apps like Meta’s Instagram -- in select markets, including iOS and Android users in Canada and Australia.

“The TikTok Notes experience is designed for those who would like to share and engage through photo content,” the ByteDance-owned company posted on X, adding that this rollout marks “the early stages of experimenting with a dedicated space for photo and text content” with the app.

Listings on Apple’s App Store as well as the Google Play Store make clear that some of the app’s features are not available on Instagram, including the ability to type headlines for images above the user’s photo-caption. 

The screenshots show that posts appear on the home page in two-column grids -- similar to the look of Pinterest -- with a page where users can view posts from people they follow and another “For You” page.

Users are also allowed to post multiple photos through a carousel post, very similar to Instagram. 

In the highly competitive social-media landscape, tech companies have made big business by copying each other’s most successful ideas.

Meta, in particular, has gained a reputation for this strategic behavior, especially with its launch of Reels, the TikTok-ified short-form video feature, and its new video player.  

Earlier this month, when TikTok first announced the new photo-sharing app, it was clear that the social media giant was taking a note from Meta’s playbook, copying Instagram despite the inclusion of image and text posts in TikTok’s original app. 

No future information has been announced with regard to the future release of TikTok Notes.