Social network TikTok starts testing Stories feature

The company notes the new feature will be in addition to its existing storytelling tools

Twitter may have shut down its Stories features known as Fleets, but the Stories format will continue across other social networks.

TikTok today confirmed it’s piloting a new feature, TikTok Stories, which will allow it to explore additional ways for its community to bring their creative ideas to life.

The company notes the new feature will be another option, in addition to its existing storytelling tools like videos, Duets, Stitch and LIVE — it’s not meant to replace them.

It describes the feature in the app as a new way to interact with your fans. Users can create a new story by tapping a “create” button that’s been added to the sidebar, and they can add the usual captions, music, and text. True to TikTok’s video-first nature, it seems stories have to be videos, not still images.

TikTok Stories posts will expire after a 24-hour period. According to the company rep, they may not become a permanent feature after testing.

TikTok didn’t say how long the pilot test would run or whether it would result in a public launch. At present, it is available across a small non-U.S. market, with the goal of gaining insight and feedback from TikTok users.

The feature was discovered by social media consultant Matt Navarra, who is often among the first to find new features in social network apps.

Where TikTok’s version of Stories differentiates itself is that it allows users to comment publicly on the creator’s content. These comments are public, the app explains, as mutual friends can see each other’s comments.

The addition of Stories offers TikTok users who don’t post with regularity or at all, an easier way to start engaging with TikTok’s tools by getting started with a more comfortable and familiar format. It can also provide creators with a way to interact casually with fans in between their more polished and edited TikTok video posts.