BeReal's influence comes to TikTok: spontaneity becomes a trend

What is TikTok Now?

The newest TikTok function, TikTok Now, has been available since September 2022. TikTok's goal, inspired by competing social media platform BeReal, is to develop a much more attractive social network for users who upload videos constantly, allowing them to capture moments of everyday life and share them with people of their choosing. The idea, unlike Instagram, is to be able to appear more "real" and to be influencers without any type of filter, something that has been stated as damaging people's mental health.

How does it work?

The application sends a daily notification when it is time to record a video, which has a maximum length of 10 seconds, alerting that it is "Time for Now". At that time, users must record and show what they are doing. Thanks to  a dual or double perspective functionality, it is possible to make the videos from the front and rear lenses of a mobile device simultaneously, capturing a more realistic view.

TikTok Now has some privacy features to consider. For one, users must be 18 years old to share their TikTok Now posts to the Explore Feed. For 13-15 year olds, only their friends (people they follow and who follow them) will be able to comment on their posts.

In the US "Now" landed seamlessly in the bottom navigation bar, next to the post button, and by tapping the Now button you can see the TikTok Nows Explore Feed. In other regions, TikTok Now is available as a new mobile app, which needs to be downloaded separately, but it works much like the TikTok experience.

Differences with BeReal

TikTok Now gives users three minutes to share an image or video, while BeReal gives users just two minutes. In addition, TikTok Now allows you to send a 10-second photo or video to friends or the community, while BeReal only allows users to take a photo, not videos, and the follower who wants to see it will have to have previously posted other content.

BeReal offers two sources, 'My friends' and 'Discovery'. TikTok Now replicates the same concept for the 'Now' feed, however it only offers users to view their followers in the feed and does not add a discover option for the post, although the ten second videos on TikTok Now have the potential to appear on others’ FYP (for you page).

TikTok Now is a novelty that has attracted the attention of Generation Z for the relaxed and "no production" environment it proposes.