Code suggests that TikTok may be working on a new app dedicated to sharing photos, according to recent findings in the TikTok app’s code.
After taking on popular music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music with TikTok Music, ByteDance may now have its sights set on competing with Instagram. A new app, potentially named TikTok Photos, has been discovered in the APK file of TikTok, suggesting that the company could be expanding beyond video-sharing. The SpAndroid blog first spotted references and icons related to this potential app in version 33.8.4 of the APK.
“[TikTok Photos] could cater to ‘like-minded people who enjoy photo posts’ according to the description in version 33.8.4, but newer version 33.8.5 has a slightly different message.”
“[TikTok Photos] is our all-new photo-sharing platform dedicated to helping creators like you reach other like-minded people,” reads the description in version 33.8.5.
“We’ve made it easier to enjoy and discover photo posts with TikTok Photos, our all-new photo-sharing platform.”
The APK also contains an icon representing the potential TikTok Photos app in the old colors of TikTok.
This move would continue ByteDance’s trend of competing on multiple fronts, with plans to rival YouTube by allowing users to post 30-minute-long videos. In July, the platform introduced text posts to compete with platforms like X and Threads. While users can already share photos on TikTok, it’s possible that the company is working on a separate app to showcase photos in a unique way.
TikTok has not made a statement regarding these findings at this time.
