Let’s be real: while there are plenty of people who are constantly trying out the latest form of social media, the vast majority of us simply wait until it gets copied by one of the big names. TikTok is usually the victim in most cases, but it’s now the one doing the ripping off – it has just announced an experimental TikTok Now feature that looks suspiciously identical to BeReal.
Yes, that means you will now be able to share whatever you’re doing using your front and rear cameras, which TikTok says “brings the authenticity of TikTok to a whole new creative experience.” It will even give you a “Time to Now” daily prompt like BeReal does, and judging by the screenshots, it will also prevent you from seeing other people’s BeReals…I mean, Nows, unless you post one yourself.
There’s one way in which TikTok Now differs from BeReal – you’ll be able to post a video up to 10 seconds long instead of just a photo. There’s no indication whether TikTok allows you to make edits or apply filters, something you can’t do on BeReal.
Also, if you’re above the age of 18, you can share your Nows to the Explore feed of anyone within your area, not just your friends. If you’re below the age of 16, your account will be made private by default, and if you’re between the ages of 13 and 15, you will only be able to comment on your friends’ posts to prevent unwanted interactions.
TikTok Now is currently a separate app from main TikTok, although ByteDance is experimenting direct access from the TikTok app in the US. It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
BeReal isn’t just being ripped off by TikTok, as it’s also being copied by who else, but Instagram. The social media Xerox machine is targeting its in-vogue rival with not one, but two features – a Dual mode for capturing images using the front and rear cameras, and a “Candid Challenge” daily posting feature currently being tested internally.
