Not even nine months since the release, TikTok have discontinued the BeReal competitor TikTok Now, as it continues struggles with declining users.
But at the same time, the app is adding new features to Family Pairing which have designed to give parents more control over what comes through on their children’s feeds.
Screenshots were shared by users of TikTok now that read TikTok was “updating the TikTok experience and discontinuing TikTok Now.”
A spokesperson for the app said, “We’re committed to exploring new ways for the TikTok community to create and connect over shared entertainment. We’ve learned a lot since launching TikTok Now and are using that feedback to help inform the future of real-time creation so that we can continue to improve the TikTok experience with new and evolved features for our community.”
TikTok Now first debuted in September 2022, and was one of several apps attempting to join the anti-Instagram image sharing bandwagon.
The feature provided daily prompts to capture a 10 second video to share with friends, and was accessible through the app in the US, and as a separate app in other nations.
It was revealed the ‘copycat’ was an attempt to “foster authentic and spontaneous connections.”
With BeReal so popular, TikTok had reason to believe TikTok Now would be successful. In April, it was reported, users plummeted 61% since the release, however it was revealed that BeReal is growing globally, with over 20 million active users daily across the globe. It also struggled to respond to concerning research that indicated it had the highest proportion of child users exposed to sexual content of any social media platform.
Even though TikTok Now is being discontinued, new updates will keep happening for the flagship app.
A new tool has been announced that allows parents to better filter what their children are watching through specific words or hashtags, and is a continuation of users being able to filter out videos based on specific words of hashtags.
TikTok claims this new tools is expected to help parents and caregivers “reduce the likelihood of their teen viewing content they may uniquely find jarring.”
It also announced the launch of “Youth Council” which will be collecting first-hand experience from young users to help inform the company of the best changes to make in the future.
TikTok is saying it already listens to young user feedback but believes this Council will “provide a more structured and regular opportunity for youth to provide their views.”
