In an effort to boost engagement and increase the time users spend on its platform, TikTok is experimenting with a new feature: streaks. This feature is reminiscent of the popular Snapchat streaks, which have become somewhat of a status symbol among friends.
TikTok has confirmed that it is currently testing the streaks feature, but has not provided any official statement about it. The company stated that it is only available to a limited number of users in select markets.
The rules for maintaining a streak on TikTok are simple: users must send direct messages to each other for at least three consecutive days. Once this is accomplished, a streak badge will appear on the chat and display the number of days the streak has been going. Many users have taken to social media to share their experiences with this new feature on TikTok.
“Y’all don’t got TikTok streaks like dis 😝😝😝” – @trollsbuzz
“Mika welcome to my tiktok streaks” – @pre2cripti0n
The streak will end if neither person sends a message within 24 hours of the last one. To keep the streak going, TikTok will send reminders to users when it is about to end.
For those who are not interested in maintaining streaks, there is an option to turn off notifications. This can be done through the Settings menu, under Privacy > Notifications > Streak settings.
Similar to Snapchat streaks, TikTok is leveraging the sentiment of closeness and frequent communication among friends with this new feature. Last year, Snapchat introduced a paid feature that allows users to pause a streak, as well as the ability to restore a streak that has been lost.
