TikTok Update Attempts to Compete with Twitter, Threads
By Movieguide® Contributor
TikTok users can now post text-based posts in addition to short videos, an update coming shortly after Meta’s latest app, Threads.
“At TikTok, we’re always looking to empower our creators and community with innovative tools that inspire self-expression,” TikTok said on their website.
“Today we’re thrilled to announce the expansion of text posts on TikTok, a new format for creating text-based content that broadens options for creators to share their ideas and express their creativity. With text posts, we’re expanding the boundaries of content creation for everyone on TikTok, giving the written creativity we’ve seen in comments, captions, and videos a dedicated space to shine.”
The Verge reported, “Text posts appear similar to Instagram Stories visually: users can add a background color, edit how text appears, and add music and stickers to the post. Posts have a 1,000-character limit…Other users can also engage with the post similar to how they interact with video—by stitching, dueting and commenting.”
It is not surprising that companies like TikTok are adding a text-based feature. Many apps, like Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon and others, are vying to replace Twitter.
In fact, Instagram’s Threads had a record-breaking first week, as 100 million users downloaded the app.
Mark Zuckerberg posted on his Threads account, “Threads reached 100 million sign ups over the weekend. That’s mostly organic demand and we haven’t even turned on many promotions yet. Can’t believe it’s only been 5 days!”
But the number of daily active users has significantly declined since the release.
The Verge reports that “Threads usage continues to fall. The Wall Street Journal said that daily active users declined 70 percent to 13 million from its peak (Sensor Tower) and average time users spent in apps decreased to four minutes from 19 minutes (SimilarWeb).”
“Meanwhile, Twitter’s daily active users are unchanged at about 200 million and spend an average of 30 minutes a day,” The Verge added.
Movieguide® previously reported on Threads:
“The vision for Threads is to create an option and friendly public space for conversation,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Threads following the launch. “We hope to take what Instagram does best and create a new experience around text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind.”
The new platform functions similarly to Twitter, lending itself to text-based posts, although photos and videos can also be posted. Users can reply to, quote, and repost other Threads posts, allowing for real-time conversations. The site also limits messages to 500 words or less.
Threads launched with immediate success, reaching 10 million users by the first day and hitting 30 million by the second. A major factor in the high user count comes from the streamlined process of creating an account. Threads requires users to sign in using their Instagram login, allowing them to carry over their follower and following list rather than start from scratch.
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