TikTok to release a new photo-sharing app called TikTok Notes

The first news about this development came from random TikTok users, who started noticing pop-up notifications on their regular TikTok app promoting “a new app for photo posts,” currently dubbed TikTok Notes.

The app resembles, and probably purposefully so, TikTok’s rival, Instagram, allowing users to simply share photos with their friends and followers. As the notifications also say, all TikTok users’ “existing and future public TikTok photo posts” will automatically be shown on TikTok Notes unless users choose to opt out.

Additionally, TechCrunch has spotted a yet-unavailable photo.tiktok.com URL that shows a splash image. Reportedly, that image also implied that users would be able to share captions alongside their pictures — just like they can do on Instagram.

As for what the app will be called, it seems that TikTok is still trying different names. Just last month, it was allegedly going to be TikTok Photos.

More important than the name is the app's integration. Many outsiders assume that, similarly to Instagram Reels, TikTok Notes will be integrated with the regular TikTok app. What’s more, the app will likely be released already ‘prepackaged’ with photos that TikTok users previously posted. This means that Notes will launch with an already built-up initial user base.

Notably, this isn’t the first (and perhaps last) time that TikTok has aimed to rival Instagram — yet this time, it’s doing it with its own TikTok Brand. Back in 2020, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, released an app called Lemon8 that, too, allowed users to share aesthetic photos similarly to Instagram. By the way, the app is still live and functioning if you want to check it out!