• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

Following popular localized in-app features from Snapchat and Instagram, TikTok is launching a “Nearby Feed” focused on connecting users with content, creators, trending places, and brick-and-mortar businesses in their immediate area.

Located on users’ home screens, the Nearby Feed recommends posts based on peoples’ locations, the topic of the content, and when the content was posted, according to TikTok’s announcement. 

“For example, people can see local content related to travel, events, food & drink and other services based on their interests and engagement,” the company explains. “For creators, this means their public posts may be available to people located in the city/region where they posted or tagged a location or service.”

Users also have the option to explore different locations as a way to see local content in preparation for an upcoming trip or vacation. 

The Nearby Feed is reminiscent of other localized social media features, including “Snap Map,” an interactive map allowing users to track their friends and discover local businesses, and Instagram’s “Friends Map,” which also shows people where their friends are in real time and promotes in-person shopping experiences. 

Snap Map, in particular, has become one of Snapchat’s most popular features for brand partners utilizing the company’s “Promoted Places” ad format, which allows advertisers to reach over 400 million users every month via the interactive map. 

TikTok writes that the Nearby Feed is designed to increase visibility for small businesses, cultural institutions and local creators, building off findings that show users already tapping into local experiences via content on the app. Almost 50% of TikTok users in the UK, for example, have visited a local shop, restaurant, or attraction they saw on the platform, according to a 2023 study by Oxford Economics. 

To help drive more foot traffic by improving the localized algorithm, the Nearby Feed will soon begin inviting users to share “more accurate information” regarding specific locations, TikTok adds.

The Nearby Feed is currently rolling out in France, Germany, Italy and the UK and will not include content posted by users under 18 years of age, users with a private account, or users who have set their post privacy settings to “Friends” or “Only You.”