Just as Twitter embarks on a controversial rebranding journey, TikTok drops a feature update that takes the platform beyond its initial short-form video model. TikTok announced the integration of text posts into its existing content framework, a move that seems aimed at rivalling Twitter (now X) and Meta’s Threads as the go-to platform for text-based content.

The Twitter challenge: What does this new feature entail?

TikTok’s fresh feature update comes as a boon for creators wishing to share written content, such as stories, poems, lyrics, and other literary forms. This addition opens up an avenue for new ways of self-expression on the platform.

On opening the app’s Camera page, users will now encounter three options: photo, video, and text. Selecting ‘text’ redirects to the text creation page, where the user can compose their post. Text posts can be further customized with features like adding sounds, location tagging, enabling comments, and allowing Duets, aiming to match the dynamism of video or photo posts.

Making your text post stand out: Customization options

TikTok text posts can be embellished with stickers, tags, and hashtags, and creators can choose from a variety of background colors to make their post visually appealing. Drafts can be saved for future editing or can be discarded entirely if need be, much like video or photo posts.

In a statement on their blog, TikTok highlighted its commitment to facilitating creativity and self-expression among its users. The introduction of text posts widens the scope of content creation on the platform, giving a dedicated space for written creativity, which had been mostly confined to comments and captions.

We are eager to hear your thoughts on this development, dear readers. How do you see the introduction of text posts impacting TikTok’s user experience? Please share your opinions in the comments section below.