Instagram, X, and Bluesky Race to Launch TikTok-Style Features Amid Uncertainty
As TikTok faces potential US ban, major social platforms are rapidly launching similar features to capture its market share.
Instagram has unveiled Edits, a video-editing app competing directly with TikTok's CapCut. The new platform allows users to edit videos for posting across any social media platform, not just Instagram. Adam Mosseri, Instagram's head, emphasized their commitment to providing compelling creative tools for video creators. The app is now available for iOS pre-order, with Android release scheduled for February.
X (formerly Twitter) is introducing a dedicated video tab, streamlining access to short-form video content. Users can scroll through videos vertically, similar to TikTok's interface, in this new specialized section.
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Bluesky, Twitter's decentralized successor, is joining the competition with Flashes, a third-party photo-sharing app currently in development. This move aims to attract users seeking alternatives to mainstream social platforms.
Meanwhile, many TikTok users are migrating to Rednote, another Chinese-owned platform, indicating that users may prefer alternative foreign platforms over established Meta-owned applications like Instagram.
These rapid developments highlight the social media industry's agility in responding to potential market shifts, as platforms position themselves to capture TikTok's substantial user base should the app face restrictions in the United States.