TikTok Now Allows Users to Create Text Posts

As Twitter shoots itself in the foot with a rebrand over the weekend, TikTok has announced that it is rolling out support for text posts. 

Although TikTok started as a platform for short-form video, it later introduced support for photos in an attempt to take on Instagram. It is now adding text posts, likely to take on Twitter (now X) and Meta’s Threads, as users look for a new place to post text-based content.

TikTok says the new content option will allow creators to share their stories, poems, lyrics, and other written content on the platform, giving them another way to express themselves.

Now when users open the app’s Camera page, they will be able to choose from three options: photo, video, and text. Once they select the text option, they will be taken to the text creation page, where they can type out the content of their post. Then, can customize the context by adding sounds, tagging a location, enabling comments, and allowing Duets. 

TikTok says text posts will be just as interactive and dynamic as any video or photo post.

Users can add stickers to their text posts, along with tags and hashtags. There is also the option to choose from a variety of background colors. Similar to video or photo posts, it can save drafts and store them with other unpublished posts for later editing or discard them entirely.

“At TikTok, we’re always looking to empower our creators and community with innovative tools that inspire self expression,” TikTok wrote in a blog post. 

“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.”

Although some people were unsure about TikTok’s decision to start supporting photos last year, it is now seen as an integral part of the app. 

It may be seen the same happening with text posts, especially since some users already post text-based content on TikTok in the form of a video or image. The new feature simply makes it easier and more intuitive to add text-based content to the platform.

It is no surprise that TikTok has decided to add support for text posts now, especially at a time when Twitter is continuing to make questionable decisions and putting limits on non-paying users.

The app is likely looking to provide an alternative option for users who want to post text-based content. Meta did something similar with the launch of its Threads app earlier this month, which is continuing to grow its user base and traction in global markets. Of course, text posts on TikTok look different than they do on Twitter or Threads, so people might not use text posts on TikTok like they do on other platforms.

TikTok has dominated the short-video market and is now once again looking to expand beyond the content format that made it famous in a bid to give users more ways to express themselves, while also taking on other popular social platforms.