TikTok is launching a dual camera feature akin to BeReal's popular daily photo prompt.
TikTok Now, the company said in a blog post Thursday, will send users daily prompts to capture and post 10-second videos or static photos using their devices’ front and back cameras.
The company described the feature, which it will be testing “in the coming weeks," as "a daily photo and video experience to share your most authentic moments with the people who matter the most."
TikTok is the latest company to try to replicate the "authenticity" element of BeReal, which is partly what has made it so popular.
The app, which was founded in January 2020, prompts users to post daily status updates by taking photos with both the front and back cameras. The prompts appear at different times every day, and users have a two-minute window to post before they can see their friends’ posts. Some users have said BeReal offers a respite from other social media apps that can be more curated.
In July, Instagram announced Dual, a Reels feature that allows users to simultaneously record videos with the front and back cameras. In August, Meta confirmed that Instagram was also prototyping a similar feature called IG Candid, The Verge reported, which would randomly prompt users to post a photo every day.
In its post, TikTok described the feature as "the newest way to be entertained and connect with others on TikTok."
“TikTok Now brings the authenticity of TikTok to a whole new creative experience that connects you with those closest to you," it said.
Users in the U.S. will be able to access TikTok Now from the TikTok app. Outside the U.S., TikTok Now might be available as a separate app.
Anyone under age 16 who creates a TikTok Now account will have a private profile by default, as with TikTok’s standard app. Users under 18 will not be able to share their content to the Explore page, and users under 15 will be limited to commenting only on their friends’ posts.
"We’re always looking to create seamless ways for our community to build authentic connections as they continue to be entertained on TikTok," TikTok said.
