Why TikTok Notes Could Actually Kill Instagram

TikTok may be about to shake up the social media space with the launch of a photo-sharing app called TikTok Notes, with some claiming the app could kill Instagram. 

According to leaked notifications shared by users of the viral video-sharing app, TikTok’susers’ photo posts will be shared to a new app called TikTok Notes unless they opt out, with the company calling the platform a “dedicated space” for images and text. 

“TikTok Notes, a new app for photo posts, is coming soon! Your existing and future public TikTok photo posts will be shown on TikTok Notes,” the notification to users reads. 

“If you prefer not to show your public TikTok photo posts on TikTok Notes, turn this off now,” the message continued, suggesting that users will be given the option to post images on both TikTok and TikTok notes similar to Meta’s multi-post feature for Facebook and Instagram. 

The new application has not been given a widespread rollout just yet and no release date has been announced. 

But TikTok would not be the first social media giant to venture away from its original core business model. Last year, Meta announced that it would be venturing into the tweeting space with the launch of its Twitter rival Threads, which was introduced as part of Instagram last year. 

TikTok is reportedly launching 'TikTok Notes,' a photo post competitor to Instagrаm pic.twitter.com/Qi6Vo4kN3o

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) April 9, 2024

Both Meta and Google have also recently introduced TikTok features like short videos and TikTok-style algorithmic results in a bid to capture some of the platform’s userbase on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. 

A TikTok spokesperson said: ‘As part of our continued commitment to innovating the TikTok experience, we’re exploring ways to empower our community to create and share their creativity with photos and text in a dedicated space for those formats.’

What is TikTok Notes?

TikTok Notes is likely to be a new standalone app by TikTok focusing on photo sharing, similar to what Instagram offers, according to leaked information and user reports.

Based on screenshots, the app seems to be designed to compete with Instagram, offering a platform for users to share photos and captions in a similar format.

However, TikTok Notes seems to be focused solely on photos and captions based on the leaked screenshots, whereas Instagram offers a wider range of features like stories, highlights, reels, and live videos.

There is no official release date yet, but the app is in development and some TikTok users have been notified about it. These notifications mention that existing public photo posts from TikTok might be automatically shared on TikTok Notes, but users will have the option to opt out of this.

Will TikTok Notes Kill Instagram?

While it's unlikely that TikTok Notes will kill Instagram entirely upon release, it could challenge the future of the popular photo-sharing app.

Ultimately, it depends on how well TikTok executes Notes. It could become a popular photo-sharing platform alongside Instagram, or it might not gain enough traction to even come close. We'll have to see how it develops after it's officially released.

Instagram has a massive user base already invested in the platform, its connections, and the way they use it, and people aren't likely to abandon it completely for a new app. Still, this has many times happened before.

In fact, most of today’s most popular social media channels replaced another, previously popular platform while using the same concept. Meta’s first platform, Facebook ended up replacing Myspace soon after launch despite the platform’s original loyal fanbase and millions of active users. 

Read: 5 Takeaways from Thread's War on Twitter

TikTok was also launched as a replacement for the popular app Vine, using many of the same features and attracting a very similar user base to its predecessor.

Still, the social media landscape is crowded. TikTok Notes will need to offer something unique and valuable to convince users to switch or add another app to their routine.

It already has a huge and very engaged user base, especially among younger demographics. These users might be curious to try a new app from the same company. If executed well, TikTok Notes could become a great platform for high-quality photo sharing, appealing to a specific user niche.

Before that, TikTok will need to overcome the risk of being banned in the US, though.