For a change, I can write about video-sharing platform TikTok for reasons other than the app being in trouble. While the app still faces a potential ban in the United States, it's still one of the most popular social apps (for as long as it's still available).

And to keep its many users happy, TikTok has just overhauled direct messaging on the app. As shared in an official announcement from TikTok, you'll find a bunch of new "user requested" features, tweaks, and bigger group chats with support for even more users.

The biggest change is that TikTok is rolling out group chats that support up to 32 people. This feature is available to users aged 16 and over. To start a group chat, you can tap the Chat button at the top of your TikTok inbox and select your desired chat buddies. Alternatively, you can hit “Start Group Chat” when sharing a post with multiple people. It’s as easy as pie.

TikTok promises it has built safety into these group chats, especially for teens. Users aged 13 to 15 are out of luck and can’t access this feature. Those aged 16-17 can only join a group chat if they have at least one mutual friend in it, and if they decide to create a group, they’ll need to manually approve any new members.

What else is new in the latest TikTok update?

TikTok is also introducing stickers to direct messages. It's a feature that the social platform is definitely a little late to. Users can create and upload custom stickers to the platform, adding a splash of creativity and flair to their chats.

Now, before you rush off to start your TikTok group chat or whip up some snazzy stickers, a quick heads up. ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, has noted that the group chat feature “isn’t currently available everywhere.” So you may need to wait a little while for the changes to roll out.

This comes after TikTok recently had to start labelling AI images and videos. The app took the step, in a social media platform first, to "advance AI transparency and literacy."

More from iMore

• TikTok in hot water with US Justice Department for breaching Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
• TikTok bill passes U.S. House vote — ByteDance may need to sell or app will be banned in the U.S.
• TikTok will auto-label AI-generated content, including images and videos made elsewhere, in social media world first

Video-sharing platform TikTok is under fire, this time from the US government. While the app still faces a potential ban in the United States, it's now being sued by the country's Justice Department.

TikTok and parent company ByteDance were sued yesterday for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (or COPPA), which makes it illegal to collect and use data from children under the age of 13.

According to the lawsuit (viewable as a PDF), TikTok has allowed children to create accounts on the platform since 2019, and this means they've been able to create videos, comment, and interact with others (including adults) within the app.

While TikTok does have a Kids Mode, the company is alleged to have collected data from users within that section of the app, too.

TikTok accused of storing children's data

The Department of Justice says the app and its parent company have employed "extensive data collection" for millions of users under the age of 13, and retained personal information from them without parental consent.

The lawsuit also says users under 13 have been able to "interact with adult users and access adult content", while also making it difficult for parents to delete their child's data.

The DoJ is seeking penalties against each violation of the COPPA, as well as legislation to prevent TikTok collecting further data from children.

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We're in the middle of an AI era right now, and while Apple continues to push for AI integration across hardware and services (including the latest M4 chip on the iPad Pro), the world of generative AI is a metaphorical minefield.

From AI models being trained on existing art to the potential for deceptive depictions of real-world figures, there's a lot to unpack. And, while TikTok has been in the news for potentially being banned, the app is taking a big step to clear things up when it comes to AI-generated content.

The company announced on Thursday that it would look to "advance AI transparency and literacy". As per the press release, TikTok already labels AI-generated content (AIGC) made with its own AI effects, and "realistic AIGC" has had to be labelled by creators for over a year.

Now, TikTok will automatically label AIGC through its Content Credentials, but it's not just the content that's been made within TikTok that'll be flagged. These Content Credentials are a technology from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) and help identify video and images with AI metadata.

Industry-wide AI transparency

TikTok's press release explains it's already begun labelling AI images and videos, and will come to audio-only content soon.

"Over the coming months, we'll also start attaching Content Credentials to TikTok content, which will remain on content when downloaded," the release explains.

"That means that anyone will be able to use C2PA's Verify tool to help identify AIGC that was made on TikTok and even learn when, where and how the content was made or edited."

This will also roll out to other social networks as they adopt the labelling process, but it should help flag when images, videos, and eventually audio are constructed using AI.

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The U.S. government is prepared to ban Tiktok in the country if parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell up in the next nine months. Now, a new report reveals that Apple might beat everyone to the punch, following the revelation TikTok is actually breaking Apple’s notorious App Store commission rules. 

According to screenshots shared on X by developer David Tesler, “TikTok might get banned from the app store next week.” In a series of posts, he reveals how TikTok appears to be circumventing Apple’s App Store commissions by directing users to purchase coins from its website, rather than using in-app purchases as demanded by Apple’s rules. This is the exact business model that got Fortnite booted from the App Store in 2020 as part of a publicity stunt run by Epic Games in the run-up to its massive lawsuit against Cupertino. 

According to Tesler, if you visit TikTok’s ‘Recharge’ screen where you can buy coins, trying to purchase coins in-app ultimately leads to an embedded web view that lets users complete their purchase, in direct contravention of Apple’s rules. It’s unclear how long this feature has existed, but Tesler notes that “This feature isn’t shown for all users in TikTok and appears to only be shown to a select group of users,” the example he used being an account that had previously purchased “a large amount of coins.”

TikTok in hot water 

As per Tesler, users are directed to pay for coins using Apple Pay, CC, or PayPal, all of which are not sanctioned by Apple as payment methods for digital goods in the U.S. Currently, Apple’s App Store in the U.S. only allows payments made by way of Apple’s in-app payments method, which charges developers up to 30% commission on purchases. It’s a highly contentious business model at the heart of changes being made to the iPhone and iOS 17, and latterly the iPad, in the EU. Apple must now let developers in the EU offer alternative app marketplaces and web distribution (sideloading), as well as alternative payment processing. 

As noted by TechCrunch, some apps in the App Store are entitled to offer users a link to their website from within an app, but these are really only “reader” apps such as Netflix, and such apps are precluded from also offering in-app payments. As such, it seems TikTok is in contravention of Apple’s rules, but what happens next is anyone’s guess. Neither Apple nor TikTok were immediately available for comment. 

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The U.S. move to ban TikTok in the country unless it is sold by parent company ByteDance has come into force this week after President Biden signed into law the foreign aid package which contains provisions regarding the ownership of the vertical video phenomenon. 

President Biden has signed a package of four total bills including the ‘Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act’, which cites ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok as a national security problem. 

While representatives hold that the country is seeking a forced separation of TikTok and ByteDance, if the parent company doesn’t sell up the app will banned. Now, TikTok has vowed to fight the ban legally.  

TikTok fights back 

In a statement given to iMore, a TikTok spokesperson told us “This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court. We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail.” 

TikTok also says it has invested “billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation.” TikTok says the ban would “devastate” 7 million businesses and “silence 170 million Americans.” TikTok vowed that it would continue to challenge the ban, which it described as “unconstitutional,” all while continuing to invest and innovate “to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired."

In his own video of response, CEO Shou Zi Chew promised viewers “we aren’t going anywhere.” 

As it stands, ByteDance now has 9 months to organize a sale of TikTok to another owner, with a possible three-month extension if needed. After that, the app will be banned in the U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, as reported by the BBC, said “For years we've allowed the Chinese Communist party to control one of the most popular apps in America... that was dangerously short-sighted… A new law is going to require its Chinese owner to sell the app. This is a good move for America.” 

A legal challenge to the bill could delay it for years before a resolution is ultimately reached. In the meantime, TikTok remains free and available on iPhones in the U.S. and is one of the best iPhone apps for entertainment on the market.

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TikTok has decried a new bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would ban the popular TikTok app if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, doesn't agree to sell within six months.

"This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: it's a ban," a TikTok representative told iMore. "We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service."

The bill in question was supported 352-65, according to NPR. In a statement made to NPR, Rep. Mike Gallagher, a member of the House of Representatives, said "What we're after is, it's not a ban, it's a forced separation." He continued to say "The TikTok user experience can continue and improve so long as ByteDance doesn't own the company."

What is the bill?

The bill is called the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" and it specifically cites ByteDance's ownership of TikTok as a national security problem. CNN reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson claims "Apps like TikTok allow the Chinese Communist Party to push harmful content to our youth and engage in malign activities, such as harvesting the location, purchasing habits, contacts, and sensitive data of Americans."

ByteDance has denied these claims to ABC, saying "This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States. The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country."

After successfully passing through the House of Representatives, this bill will then be seen by Congress, which will then decide if it is enacted. President Biden has previously said he would support the bill if it came across his desk. 

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The European Commission has opened an investigation into TikTok over claims it has failed to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act with regards to transparency and protecting children. 

“Today we open an investigation into #TikTok over suspected breach of transparency & obligations to protect minors,” EU Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a post on X Monday. Breton highlighted four specific issues with the platform: TikTok’s “Addictive design and screen time limits”, the “rabbit hole effect,” age verification, and default privacy settings. 

According to Reuters, formal documents filed by the Commission today state “The protection of minors is a top enforcement priority for the DSA. As a platform that reaches millions of children and teenagers, TikTok must fully comply with the DSA and has a particular role to play in the protection of minors online.”  

EU continues DSA enforcement

TikTok is not the first platform to fall foul of the DSA. Last year, the Commission opened formal proceedings against X "to assess whether X may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers." Specifically, the Commission highlighted "the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel." 

The Commission had reached out to TikTok under the DSA in October 2023. The Commission formally requested information "on the measures it has taken to comply with obligations related to the risk assessments and mitigation measures against the spreading of illegal content, in particular the spreading of terrorist and violent content and hate speech, as well as the alleged spread of disinformation." Furthermore, the request also addressed "TikTok's compliance with other elements of the DSA, in particular with regards to its provisions related to the protection of minors online." It is likely findings concerning the latter that this investigation has now been formally opened. A full release from the EC states:

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether TikTok may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content.

On the basis of the preliminary investigation conducted so far, including on the basis of an analysis of the risk assessment report sent by TikTok in September 2023, as well as TikTok's replies to the Commission's formal Requests for Information (on illegal content, protection of minors, and data access), the Commission has decided to open formal proceedings against TikTok under the Digital Services Act.

In a statement to iMore, a TikTok spokesperson said "TikTok has pioneered features and settings to protect teens and keep under 13s off the platform, issues the whole industry is grappling with. We'll continue to work with experts and industry to keep young people on TikTok safe, and look forward to now having the opportunity to explain this work in detail to the Commission." TikTok also referred us to several measures it has in place regarding minor safety and addictive behaviors, including automatic screen limits on U18 accounts, and privacy measures applied by default to accounts for teenagers. 

The news follows a report at the weekend that the EU is set to hit Apple with a 500 million Euro fine over claims it behaved in an anti-competitive manner in preventing Spotify from suggesting payment methods outside of Apple's App Store. Spotify is a famously outspoken critic of Apple's iOS business model. In response to these criticisms and the Digital Markets App, Apple is going to introduce third-party app stores and alternative payment methods to iPhone with iOS 17.4 next month. 

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While the wait continues for the likes of Netflix and YouTube to make the jump to Apple's Vision Pro headset, TikTok has made its debut on visionOS.

The video-sharing network announced via X (formerly Twitter) that the app is available now - meaning those lucky enough to already own a Vision Pro can download it from the App Store.

"Exciting news! TikTok is now available as a new spatial app on Apple Vision Pro," the post reads.

"Experience your For You feed in an entirely new way through this immersive content view"

So, whether it's dance crazes, cute pet videos, or just about anything else you're currently being served by the all-powerful TikTok algorithm, you'll now be able to enjoy it on your face as part of the headset's growing app contingent.

As one commenter put it, "There goes all productivity".

Why use TikTok on Apple Vision Pro?

Naturally, many will wonder just what the big deal is with having another screen with which to watch the vertical scrolling video platform.

As far as unique features, the screenshots shared in the post above showcase the ability to view comments side by side with a video still playing, while the bar at the bottom suggests you'll be able to nudge the video window to just about anywhere in your 'physical' space - so maybe you will get some work done after all.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that TikTok is arriving before services like Netflix, with the latter being traditionally swift to support new platforms in the past.

While Netflix's co-CEO thinks Vision Pro is "not really particularly relevant to most" subscribers, maybe TikTok jumping in will persuade them that visionOS has legs after all.

As for YouTube, despite initial opting out on Google's part, it appears we may get an option for Vision Pro after all after Juno, a third-party YouTube app developed by Apollo designer Christian Sellig, took off.

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If you open TikTok and start to scroll through your For You page you will no doubt notice that many of the videos you see feature music. In fact, music is a key part of how TikTok works with creators filming their videos with songs in the background, lipsyncing them, and more. But that music doesn't come free, and one of the companies that represents some of the biggest artists in the world says that TikTok is playing hardball over how much it's willing to pay to license that music.

In fact, Universal Music Group says that TikTok is being downright dastardly about the way it is trying to rip Universal and its artists off. In a long open letter that claims it is time to "call time out on TikTok," Universal details a long list of grievances against TikTok including what it claims are bullying tactics to try and force it to accept less money than it believes its artists deserve. Those artists just so happen to be some of the biggest in the world including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Drake.

Following the breakdown of talks between Universal and TikTok, the music company has started to withdraw its catalog of music from the social network. What comes next is anyone's guess, but videos that previously had the affected music will now be muted and creators will have no choice but to switch to an alternative track instead.

A sad, sad song

Universal's open letter began by setting out its goals to "help our artists and songwriters attain their greatest creative and commercial potential," something that will be literal music to the ears of those people. And it's fair to say that it's been good at it in the past, too. But when it comes to TikTok, there's a problem.

According to Universal, it wanted to make sure that TikTok was working on three key things as part of a revised deal.

"The terms of our relationship with TikTok are set by contract, which expires January 31, 2024," the music outfit explains. "In our contract renewal discussions, we have been pressing them on three critical issues—appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users."

The problem? None of that is happening.

"With respect to the issue of artist and songwriter compensation, TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay," Universal notes, adding that "Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music."

On the subject of AI music, Universal accused TikTok of "TikTok is allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings—as well as developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself – and then demanding a contractual right which would allow this content to massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI." Strong words indeed.

Universal says that it also suggested that TikTok revamp its system for reporting bigotry, harassment, and other nastiness on its platform only to find that it "responded first with indifference, and then with intimidation."

That intimidation came in the form of offering a new deal that was worth less than the old one while also "selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars." In short, it doesn't sound great.

As always, it's the TikTok users that suffer here. We'd have to imagine that an agreement between Universal and TikTok can be achieved, but it'll be a case of seeing which huge corporation blinks first. And as anyone following the Epic Games Vs Apple situation in recent years will attest, that doesn't always go well.

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If you take even a cursory glance at TikTok from time to time, you might well have encountered the mysterious case of Angele Sofia, who has recently started documenting her struggles with an iPhone alarm that goes off at 9:25 am every morning, without fail, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. 

What quickly started as a throwaway ask-for-help TikTok video has become a viral multi-part series with returning fans vested in her ongoing struggle. Sofia first took to TikTok on November 21 to reveal that she had “some sort of glitch or problem on my iPhone” that “no single Apple employee can seem to figure out.” She revealed that at 9:25 am every morning, an alarm goes off on her iPhone, despite the fact she never has one set. 

“I do not have an alarm set at 9:25, nor have I ever had an alarm set at 9:25,” she says, revealing the problem started out of the blue one day, and that the issue has been bothering her for an astonishing four or five years. The alarm is strange in other ways, too, it doesn’t ring when the phone is silent and it can’t be snoozed. Perhaps strangest of all (or not at all strange, as we’ll get to) is that this iPhone has persisted each time she has bought a new iPhone and transferred her data, a key fact in the story we’ll come back to later. So what on earth is going on, and why has this glitch baffled so many Apple employees?

The curious incident of the alarm in the day-time 

In a series of follow-up videos, Sofia has checked several different settings and tried a few different fixes to stop this phantom alarm. That includes turning off her sleep cycle, asking Siri to stop her alarm, checking the Health app, and more drastic measures like deleting her World Clock app, resetting her settings, and more. All of those actions have proved fruitless, but there’s still one thing she hasn’t tried. 

Here at iMore, we like to think we know a thing or two about iPhones. Heck, we even have a resident ex-Apple Genius on staff who we’ve set to cracking this case. I say cracking, there doesn’t seem to be that much to it. Our man in the know, John-Anthony Disotto, is fervent that the most obvious course of action for Sofia, in this case, should be to fully erase her phone and set up the device as new. 

The fact this alarm is a persistent issue that has been passed from device to device makes it clear there seems to be some kind of software glitch that needs to be ironed out, and a full reset seems to be the obvious solution. We also know it’s a likely solution because it's the one thing Sofia has definitely not tried and refuses to do. In an update video this week, she responded to comments about performing a factory reset saying she wasn’t going to listen to them because “the 9:25 alarm is not bad enough for me to lose everything I have” (despite describing it as “the bane of my existence” in her original video) and that it would mean “the alarm wins.” 

Personal vendettas aside, that first part isn’t quite true, because iCloud will still save all of Sofia’s most important personal information to be resynced to her device, such as her messages, contacts, photos, and even her passwords. It’s very easy to erase your iPhone, set it up as new, and then access nearly all your information again through iCloud. What’s more, Sofia has nothing to lose because, if it doesn’t work, she can simply re-erase the phone and restore her old iCloud backup, as if the phone had never been erased in the first place. 

Should it come to that, it would certainly confirm this as one of the strangest iPhone glitches we’ve ever seen and vastly narrow down the explanations to just a few remaining theories. The most convincing alternative one I’ve seen relates to a commenter who claims to have had the same issue because a scammer added an event to their Mail account’s calendar every day until 2077. Before we get to theories that wild, however, please just reset the iPhone and tell us what happens.

Apple Music might be about to get some new competition following the news that video-based social network TikTok is set to continue the rollout of its music streaming service to new markets.

TikTok Music is expanding to a small group of users in Australia, Mexico, and Singapore, but people will have to be approved to join a closed beta program to test it out.

While TikTok Music is yet to make its U.S. debut, the slow rollout is a clear indication that TikTok wants to ensure its service is stable and competitive before taking on Apple Music and Spotify in the world's biggest markets.

Sounds good to us

Business Insider reports that starting today TikTok Music will be available to a limited number of users after launching in Brazil and Indonesia earlier this month.

"Users who are approved to join its closed beta in the new markets will receive a three-month free trial for the service," the report says, adding that a TikTok spokesperson has confirmed that it will have more news to share about the launch of TikTok Music in the coming months.

It's surely only a matter of time before TikTok Music gets a wider, more global launch that will crank up the pressure on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and other music streaming services. Competition is good for consumers, of course, hopefully reducing prices and improving the features that we all use when listening to our favorite songs.

Getting set up to make the most of TikTok Music when it finally lands in more countries? Be sure to check out our collection of the best Bluetooth headphones before making a new purchase. You'd be amazed how much of a better experience you can have with a decent pair of wireless headphones or earbuds.

Social video app TikTok has announced that it is bringing passkey support to the iPhone, making it easier and safer for people to sign into it.

Passkeys are a new security and sign-in option that removes the need for the traditional username and password combinations that we're used to. Instead, passkeys use biometric measures to ensure accounts remain secure.

TikTok announced that it's starting to roll passkey support out this month, although only in specific parts of the world initially with more to come.

Security first

TikTok announced the new security feature via a blog post, saying that "passkey authentication works by using public-private key cryptography techniques." Users identify themselves using Touch ID, or on Apple's best iPhones, Face ID. TikTok and other apps cannot access the biometric data that is saved when creating a passkey, ensuring they remain private.

TikTok also confirmed that it is now part of the FIDO Alliance, the outfit that helps develop authentication standards.

“Passwords are a hindrance to security and user experience that are long past their expiration date – which is why the FIDO Alliance has created open standards for passwordless authentication that are being utilized by leading service providers to allow consumers to have easier access to leading online services such as TikTok,” Andrew Shikiar, FIDO Alliance Executive Director, said via the blog post.

TikTok says that it's launching passkey support in Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America this month and expects to expand it to more markets "over time." It also shared new details on how to set up a passkey within TikTok once the time comes.

TikTok isn't the first to add support for passkeys of course. Apple.com already does, while PayPal also added passkey support previously, along with 1Password. 

Passkeys was introduced in iOS 16, set to be replaced in September when iOS 17 rolls out alongside the new iPhone 15. 

With more than one billion videos watched each and every day, there’s a huge amount of TikTok content to wade through. But among the cat videos, skincare recommendations, and viral dances, we think the most valuable videos are the ones that offer insightful tips and tricks.

If you're an iPhone user you're in luck, as TikTok is filled with tutorials tailored specifically for you. These videos introduce lesser-known iPhone features and provide step-by-step instructions on how to get them working.

Because we gravitate towards tech TikToks here at iMore, our For You pages are packed with these Phone tips and useful hacks every time we open the app. This means we've had plenty of opportunity to put them to the test, handpicking the cream of the crop to share with you below.

While you’ll have heard of some of them before, we think these popular TikTok iPhone tips are some of the best out there. Watch the videos to see the hands-on tutorials, or follow our step-by-step instructions below each one instead. 

The best TikTok iPhone tips – our picks

1. Take a photo of a plant to find out what it’s called

Many TikTok users have made videos about the iPhone’s Visual Look Up feature, which was rolled out in early 2023 because it’s useful and smart. This video is one of our favorites. Just look at this user’s infectious enthusiasm and joy at realizing they can identify a plant with just their iPhone – we relate.

While similar functionalities have existed for years through dedicated apps, like PlantSnap or Google Lens, the Visual Look Up feature on the iPhone utilizes Siri's vast knowledge to identify various subjects captured in your photos. 

Whether it's plants, flowers, art, objects, places, or animals, you can now access this feature directly from your camera roll without the need to switch apps. Let's dive into how you can make the most of it:

1. Launch Photos.

2. Look for a photo that has sparkly stars on the "i" button at the bottom.

3. Tap the "i" button.

4. This brings up the information panel, and you should also see a Visual Look Up option at the top. This button will have a different icon on it, depending on what it is. For example, if it is a plant, you will see a little leaf. If it is a dog, you will see a tiny paw print.

5. Tap Look Up.

6. It should show you results using Siri Knowledge, and you can browse for similar results on the web below, too. 

2. Get a cool, blurry background to your photos with long exposure

This TikTok shows an iPhone photo tip that’s an oldie but a goodie. Especially because it very dramatically proves what a difference you can make to your photos by selecting the long exposure option – as long as you tell your subject to stand very still, that is.

It’s aimed at aspiring street style photographers, but this tip is good for anyone who wants to take a photo of a person or an object while obscuring a dynamic environment behind them.

Here’s how you do it: 

1. Open your camera and turn on Live mode in the top right-hand corner.

2. Get your subject to stand still for around three seconds and take the photo.

3. Once you’ve taken the photo, swipe up to see Effects and select Long Exposure. 

3. Lock any app you like

Adding passwords to specific apps or folders isn’t new, but we’re always surprised how few people realize you can do it. As well as how many people don’t utilize the Shortcuts app, which allows you to combine apps and automate tasks. This tip combines both.

It’s simple but a hack that could be handy, especially if you have kids who regularly play with your phone or maybe you just like to keep some things extra private. Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to the Shortcuts app.

2. Tap on Automation in the bottom menu then Create personal automation.

3. Scroll to App and tap it.

4. Press Choose and pick the app you want to be able to lock with a passcode.

5. Check the Is Opened box then tap Next.

5. In Actions type Lock screen and select it.

6. Turn off Ask before running.

7. Test it by going to the app you selected, it should ask for your passcode 

4. Make your phone flash when you get a notification

Another TikTok tip that involves digging into the iPhone’s Accessibility settings. There are all kinds of reasons why you might want to get notified about a new message or call but not with sounds. Maybe you’re recording audio, have an auditory impairment or just don’t like being bothered by beeps and ringtones throughout the day.

This simple trick means that when you get a notification or phone call, the LED light at the back (the one that flashes when you take a photo at night) blinks instead. Watch the video above, or follow these instructions: 

1. Go to Settings.

2. Scroll to Accessibility.

3. Click on Audio/Visual.

4. Scroll to LED Flash for Alerts and tap this on. 

5. Use your secret magnifying glass

It’s not often that we’ll come across an iPhone trick we haven’t seen before. But most of us were stumped and amazed by this one. 

In your Accessibility settings, there’s a Magnifier feature that turns your camera into a magnifying glass, essentially. I know what you’re thinking, why not open the camera and just zoom, right? But this way you get more detail and better control.

This TikTok explains the steps, but we’ve written them out here for you too:

1. Go to Settings.

2. Click on Accessibility.

3. Scroll down and click on Guided Access.

4. Toggle Guided Access on. Tap back.

5. Click the Accessibility shortcut.

6. Tap on Magnifier.

7. Triple-click on the power button to bring the Magnifier up 

6. Amp up your speaker volume

Here’s a simple TikTok tip that’s been around for years but is a great way to make your music sound about three times louder. 

What’s happening in this tip is the audio is being compressed to make the quieter bits louder and the louder bits quieter. That way you don’t have to up the volume. That means if you want the best-sounding audio, this isn’t the way to get it. But if you’re listening to music in an environment that means you can’t put the volume all the way up, this is a good way to give it a boost. 

1. Go to Settings and tap on Music.

2. Tap EQ and select Late Night. 

7. Turn your iPhone into a white noise machine

There are plenty of apps that’ll play you soothing sounds when you need to sleep, focus or just drown out annoying background noise. But this TikTok shows that your iPhone has a bunch of these noises built-in, including rain, stream, ocean and bright noise. You can change the volume and choose whether they play when other media is playing (weird, but okay) and when your phone is locked.

1. Go to Settings.

2. Scroll to Accessibility and tap Audio/Visual.

3. Tap on Background Sounds and toggle them on.

4. Tap on Sound to change it.

8. Set a sleep timer in Apple Music

This is one of the oldest TikTok tips in our guide, but it’s also one of our favorites. 

We’ve all been there. You’re listening to music, slowly nodding off to sleep and then you either realize you have to press stop and wake yourself up or you wake up in the middle of the night with music still playing. To get around this, set a sleep timer.

1. Go to Apple Music and play a track.

2. Pull down your top menu and select Timer (it looks like a little clock).

3. Tap on When Timer Ends.

4. Scroll all the way down to Stop Playing.

5. Set the amount of time you want to listen for. 

TikTok is home to some of the funniest short-form content out there. At its best, TikToks can make the average TV show writer’s room seem like a crematorium. 

However, TikTok moves at a million miles an hour. And because it’s governed by an algorithm designed to keep you constantly engaged and entertained, finding content you’ve already seen and loved can be tricky. 

Saving clips to your iPhone just after you’ve seen a TikTok is one of the best ways to keep them for a later re-watch. After all, your favorite creators might decide to delete old content off their account for any number of reasons, or leave TikTok completely one day.

Before you get started, though, a few points on what you can do with these downloaded TikToks. It’s not ethically sound to start downloading someone’s creations and start posting them on your own account, posing like you made their content. 

This is likely to constitute a copyright violation and, well, we’re simply big fans of creativity and the effort people put into making original content here at iMore. Of course, there is a whole genre of content that hinges on other people’s videos, the reaction video. You’ll want a downloaded version of the original to make one of these reactions. So let’s get to it. Here’s how to download TikTok videos on your iPhone.

How to download TikTok videos on your iPhone

1. Find a TikTok video you want to save

2. Long-press the screen somewhere towards the center and away from the interface buttons
3. Tap Save Video in the Share menu

4. Tap More in the Share To pop-up

5. Tap Save Video, or Save to Files if you want to specify a save location

6. Close TikTok
7. Open Photos
8. Select Albums in the bottom nav bar
9. Select Videos under the Media Types header

In this folder, you will now find the TikToks we’ve saved. They are stored as H.264 files, so are similar to completely ordinary videos you might take with your iPhone.

Why can’t I download a video?

With some TikToks, you will find the Save Video option is not there. This is because the creator has disabled downloads in their posting options. 

This is a Privacy setting, one designed to stop people sharing your content quite as readily outside of TikTok. And to make it harder for them to start reposting it as their own. 

Based on our anecdotal experience, it’s often the aggregator accounts that do this. These are TikTok accounts that repost other people’s content, often without having any real right to do so.

Using an app to download TikTok videos on iPhone

You can also use an app to download TikTok videos to your iPhone. But what can they add when TikTok makes it so easy to save your faves already?

Some apps make the process marginally faster. Sort of, anyway, by having a TikTok search function of their own. Others let you add your own captions to a video, a super-simple form of video editing. 

Some also provide watermark removal. We find this a bit of an eyebrow-raiser in most situations, as the watermark is there to tell you the name of the account that made the video. 

Why are you looking to remove it unless you want to claim that content as your own? That’s no bueno, folks, much as it is absurdly common in social networking sites like Instagram and TikTok.

How to make a reaction video on TikTok

Do you want to download TikToks in order to get in on the reactions trend? 

You ideally want to get ahold of some video editing software. While off-screen reactions can work pretty well in some situations, the classic approach is to have a side-by-side picture-in-picture effect. 

Some beginner-friendly video editing apps have profiles for such a layout, like Filmora. This is not a free app, but there is a free version with limited features and a watermark on videos produced. 

You can also get similar results from the free version of DaVinci Resolve, a feature-limited tier of one of the most popular professional-grade video editing apps. That’s for Macs, though, not iPhones. 

You can also get this split-screen effect in trusty old iMovie, the free video editor available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It’s found in the Overlay menu within iMovie.

Download TikToks on iPhone, easily

Downloading TikToks is as easy as can be on iPhone, and there's no need to download any more apps to get access to your favorite videos directly on your iPhone.

TikTok is an absolute blast, and it is one of the best apps on the iPhone because of how easy it is to use and enjoy. If you use TikTok regularly and want to share your favorite accounts, let us know by joining the iMore forums and leaving a comment below!

So TikTok has found itself in the news a lot of late, and none of that news has been for anything good. We've seen countries ban the app from government phones and we even saw the BBC do the same. Now, its CEO has been dragged before a U.S. congressional hearing. And it was all pretty surreal.

Not surreal in a good kind of way, either. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced hours upon hours of questions about all kinds of things, but little of it was of any real use. TikTok is still TikTok. Nothing's changed.

Will it change? Maybe. At least one politician might now know a little more about how Wi-Fi works.

This keeps happening

Why do politicians keep forcing tech CEOs to come before the US Congress and then insist on asking the kinds of questions that do little more than show they're clueless?

Not necessarily clueless about what they do on the daily. I like to think all politicians regardless of political leaning are good at what they do. But it's when things turn to tech that some of these well-educated people seem to lose all grasp of their faculties.

One example? How about Representative Richard Hudson asking if TikTok used people's home Wi-Fi network? The question was so unexpected that TikTok's CEO seemed confused by it. So Hudson clarified the question.

“If I have the TikTok app on my phone, and my phone is on my home Wi-Fi network, does TikTok have access to that network?” Chew said that yes, if the user was on their home Wi-Fi then sure, it would. Whether that satiated anyone, we'll never know.

Maybe Hudson should check out iMore's list of the best Wi-Fi routers around if he's having problems in the future.

There were other instances, too. Georgia's representative, Earl "Buddy" Carter wanted to know whether TikTok was watching his pupils a little too closely. Could TikTok's algorithm use his pupil dilation as a sign that it should put more of the same content into his feed?

Again, Chew seemed perplexed. And rightfully so.

Others accused TikTok of promoting fentanyl while working for the Mexican drug cartels.

Have these people seen the internet before?

There were many more examples of politicians wasting their chance to quiz the CEO of a huge social media platform in front of television cameras. They wanted to grandstand and showboat, rarely managing to ask pertinent questions that get to the heart of what was supposed to be the concern here — can TikTok be forced to hand data on global users over to the Chinese government?

Turns out, even if it could, all that data will tell it is whether my pupils dilate when watching cat videos and where to get their next fentanyl fix.

Bigger than TikTok

It isn't just TikTok, either. We've seen high-profile CEOs from other big tech companies put into this position before. A position where they could be truly grilled on what their business models are. How they use the data their customers provide. Whether they promote hate speech, and more.

But instead, we have a room of tech-illiterate politicians asking about Wi-Fi and making claims that are simply outlandish. At one point Chew was asked if TikTok supports genocide!

For the record, he said "no." TikTok does not support genocide.

That's good to know.

The answer

Ultimately, the only real way we can ever expect to get any useful answers out of tech CEOs and people like them is to have subject matter experts ask the questions in the first place. People who know what they're talking about. People who understand not only the questions they ask but what questions they should ask in the first place. Only then can we expect real, usable answers.

And who knows, it'd be a bonus if they could not make themselves look silly in the process, too.

The U.K. has confirmed that it is banning TikTok from all government phones amid ongoing security concerns surrounding the app and its Chinese owners.

The U.K. and other countries are concerned that TikTok could potentially be a security risk to government data because of the app's possible data collection. That data could then theoretically wind up in the hands of the Chinese government.

Now, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden has confirmed that the app will be banned, saying that doing so constituted good phone "hygiene."

No countrywide ban

Sky News reports that Dowden took the time to stress that the government isn't advising members of the public to also stop using TikTok. 

"This ban applies to government corporate devices within ministerial and non-ministerial departments, but it will not extend to personal devices for government employees or ministers or the general public," he said in a statement made to MPs.

The ban will take immediate effect, although there will be "limited exemptions" on some government devices where TikTok is required for work — likely those who run the government's social media accounts, for example.

TikTok owner ByteDance said that it is "disappointed," adding that it remains "committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors."

The government has already been accused of acting too late, with many pointing to the fact that the United States had already banned TikTok from its own government devices in December 2022.

TikTok for its part contends that it does not share data with China, but it should be noted that the Chinese government can require companies within its jurisdiction to hand over data when requested. It's thought that could open the door to data being collected on international users and then given to the Chinese authorities.

ByteDance did note that it has "begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European data centers and tightening data access controls, including third-party independent oversight of our approach."

TikTok's popularity has exploded in recent years, becoming stiff competition for the likes of YouTube and Instagram. It's become the go-to place for many to share their stories, whether that's a video about picking up Apple's latest and best iPhones or the latest dance craze.

A stunning new report on TikTok has revealed that the app could be banned in the U.S. unless its Chinese owners sell their stake in the company. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (Cfius) demanded ByteDance "recently." The report says the move "represents a major shift in policy on the part of the administration," TiTok has been under immense pressure from politicians, notably Republicans, in the U.S. who say the app is a security risk. The report follows breaking news Thursday that says the UK government is expected to announce a ban on TikTok on its work phones with immediate effect. 

TikTok says a sale won't fix the problems of its perceived security threat, having pledged $1.5 billion to protect U.S. user data and content from the Chinese government. In a statement, the company said "If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access," adding that the best way to address the concerns "is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing."

TikTok stalemate

WSJ reports that negotiations with Cfius over securing TikTok user data "have been going on for more than two years and have been at a stalemate for months." According to the report, U.S. officials are partly concerned about China's national security law "which requires companies to turn over customer data if requested" as part of the reason for their misgivings about the popular video-sharing app. 

The same criticism and commentary have been leveled at Apple regarding the safety and security of user data in China in the past. 

To alleviate concerns, TikTok plans to ringfence its U.S. operations, using the aforementioned cash to store all of its U.S. data in the U.S. and giving Oracle access to its algorithm to help with transparency. 

The upshot seems to be that without a sale of ByteDance's stake in the company, TikTok might not even be around in the U.S. by the time the iPhone 15 is launched later this year.

The hugely popular short-form video app TikTok says that it is turning on new features that are designed to help teens spend less time in its app. Or, at least, be more aware of how much time they spend watching memes.

TikTok is one of the apps that some people have raised concerns about in recent years, with the app often proving too addictive for teens to turn down. Now it says it's going to limit teens to just 60 minutes of watching videos each day, although there are caveats to be considered.

The main caveat is that the whole thing can be disabled, rendering it useless.

They see me scrollin'

In a press release TikTok says that in the coming weeks, every account that is owned by anyone under the age of 18 will be automatically opted into the 60-minute limit. The outfit says that the time wasn't plucked out of thin air, either — it spoke to academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital, we're told.

"If the 60-minute limit is reached, teens will be prompted to enter a passcode in order to continue watching, requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time," TikTok explains. And things are slightly different for those who are under 13, too.

"For people in our under 13 experience, the daily screen time limit will also be set to 60 minutes, and a parent or guardian will need to set or enter an existing passcode to enable 30 minutes of additional watch time."

All of this can of course be disabled if that's something that everyone agrees on, although it might mean that few teens actually abide by that 60-minute limit in the end.

It isn't that TikTok itself is bad, per se. But the company clearly understands that people are concerned about the amount of time that people spend watching content there. Us? We're more concerned that every other video is someone talking into an AirPod like it's a microphone. Maybe they only have one of them and lost the other?

If that's you, fear not. We have some AirPods deals that will get you a pair of those things for your ears.

United States Senator Michael Bennet says that both Apple and Google should kick TikTok out of their respective app stores over the social network's collection of user data.

Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, has sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai to tell them that no company that could be on the receiving end of “Chinese Communist Party dictates should have the power to accumulate such extensive data on the American people or curate content to nearly a third of our population.”

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company frequently accused of collecting data on U.S. citizens.

"It's irresponsible"

In an interview with The New  York Times Bennet reportedly said that “it’s irresponsible for us to make [data] available the way we have, and I hope that Apple and Google will take this as an opportunity to lead in this debate.”

The concern is that TikTok, and by association ByteDance, may be making information on American citizens available to the Chinese government.

Brooke Oberwetter, a spokeswoman for TikTok, said says that any concerns about the company are based on “misleading reporting about TikTok, the data we collect, and our data security controls.” She also pointed to what TikTok calls "Project Texas," a plan “to provide additional assurances to our community about their data security and the integrity of the TikTok platform.”

The request for Apple to ban TikTok from the App Store comes at a time when the company is in a difficult position with China. Apple continues to work to reduce its reliance on the country where many of its products are built following high-profile manufacturing issues.

Those issues recently saw Apple's best iPhones become almost impossible to buy thanks to Chinese COVID-19 lockdowns and worker unrest that brought one vital Foxconn plant to its knees.

TikTok is one step closer to a nationwide ban in the United States.

As reported by Reuters, the United States House of Representatives has voted to ban the popular social media app from government devices. The ban, which was announced on Tuesday, specifically comes from the administration arm of the House. 

The House's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) said that the app poses a "high risk due to a number of security issues" and that it must now be deleted from any devices that are managed by the House of Representatives.

The app will soon be banned in the White House

Today's announcement is one of many measures at the federal level to ban the app. A measure already exists in the $1.6 trillion omnibus bill that will ban the app from devices managed by the executive branch. That will go into effect once President Joe Biden signs the bill into law.

A spokesperson for the Chief Administrative Officer confirmed the House ban came after the executive ban seemed likely, saying that "with the passage of the Omnibus that banned TikTok on executive branch devices, the CAO worked with the Committee on House Administration to implement a similar policy for the House."

The federal government is now joining a growing number of state governments that have passed similar bans on TikTok on government-run devices. Momentum continues to grow about a potential nationwide ban of the app.

TikTok has not responded to the new ban, but the company has previously called the bans politically motivated and said that the company continues to take user privacy seriously, despite being owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that could be forced to hand over user data to the Chinese government.

Despite the controversy, TikTok continues to grow in popularity in the United States, outpacing the growth of competing social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

YouTube is going to start adding a watermark to YouTube Shorts to make sure that everyone knows where the videos came from, even when they have been posted to other apps like TikTok and Instagram.

The move, first reported by TechCrunch, comes after a support thread outed plans to add a watermark to downloaded content. If you aren't seeing the watermark just yet, hang fire — Google says that it will take a few weeks to roll out on desktop and that it will also be brought to mobile "over the coming months.

Marked up

To be clear, YouTube isn't specifically saying that people shouldn't share content on other apps, but it does say that it wants everyone to know where that content originated.

"If you’re a creator who downloads your Shorts from YouTube Studio to share across other platforms, you’ll now find a watermark added to your downloaded content," the support document says. "We’ve added a watermark to the Shorts you download so your viewers can see that the content you’re sharing across platforms can be found on YouTube Shorts. This is rolling out over the next few weeks on desktop, and we plan to expand to mobile over the coming months."

YouTube isn't alone in adding a watermark to videos created using its tools, however. TikTok has done something similar for years which is why YouTube Shorts and Instagram are full of videos that have the famous TikTok logo on them somewhere. In the future, we're likely to see the YouTube logo pop up more and more, too.

While this will likely mainly impact people ripping other people's content and posting it as their own, those who originally created the videos might need to consider using third-party apps in the future. Whereas many videos are now recorded using tools built into social networking apps, the only way to avoid the watermark is to create videos elsewhere and upload them individually.

What you need to know

• TikTok is testing a feature that will allow people to prevent under 18s from watching their live streams.
• The option will now allow content to be streamed if it violates exiting TikTok policies.
• The new setting only applies to live streams.

TikTok is testing a new setting that will allow people to limit their live streams to people who are 18 or older, according to reports.

The change would give people the option to prevent anyone who is under age from being able to see their live stream, with a message warning them that "only viewers 18 and above can see" content that has the option enabled according to a TechCrunch report based on screenshots shared by Watchful.ai.

In those screenshots, we see an option to enable "Mature Themes," although TikTok does still notify content creators that anything that breaks community guidelines will be removed — policies currently cover nudity, violence, and sexual activity.

This new option is currently only available to a limited number of users as part of an ongoing test, but it seems likely that one of the best iPhone apps for sharing and watching videos will soon give creators new powers to block underage people from viewing their content. The setting only currently appears to relate to TikTok's live streams, however.

TikTok has long been popular among kids and adults alike and an option like this is an important addition, although it isn't clear when it will be enabled for all. Creators can prevent minors from accessing live streams that are suited to adult audiences — so long as they don't break those policies — in a way that is handled by TikTok itself at the flick of a single switch when beginning the stream.

What you need to know

• TikTok has submitted a letter to U.S. senators in response to accusations about monitoring U.S. citizens.
• The company is under scrutiny over concerns its parent company ByteDance may be a security threat in the U.S.
• TikTok has now admitted that there are certain China-based employees who can see data from U.S. users.

TikTok appears to have admitted that there are certain employees at the company based in China that can access from American users, prompting an outcry from Republican senators.

TikTok has submitted a letter to nine U.S. senators who have accused the viral video platform and its parent company ByteDance of monitoring U.S. citizens.

As reported by Bloomberg:

According to the letter obtained by Bloomberg, "China-based employees who clear a number of internal security protocols" at Tiktok can access "certain information on TikTok's US users, including public videos and comments."

While TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said that none of this information is shared with the Chinese government and is subject to "robust" cybersecurity controls, the revelation has prompted an outcry from the Republican senators calling for answers.

Tennesee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said the response "confirms our fears about the CCP's influence in the company were well-founded" and that "the Chinese-run company should have come clean from the start, but it attempted to shroud its work in secrecy. Americans need to know if they are on TikTok, Communist China has their information."

The New York Times reports that TikTok included in its response a number of reassurances about data on the platform, including stating that it plans to operate its app on servers controlled by American company Oracle and use third-party audits:

TikTok's CEO said the company knows it is among the most scrutinized platforms when it comes to security and aims to "remove any doubt about the security of U.S. user data." The report also expands on comments about China-based employees accessing U.S. data, stating that this was only when "subject to a series of robust cybersecurity controls and authorization approval protocols overseen by our U.S.-based security team." The company also says it plans to delete U.S. data from its own servers and store it entirely with Oracle.

What you need to know

• FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has written to Apple CEO Tim Cook to demand that it pulls TikTok from the App Store.
• Google CEO Sundar Pichai also received the same letter about the Google Play Store.
• TikTok is accused of allowing Chinese staff members to access the data of U.S.-based users.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has written Apple CEO Tim Cook to demand that TikTok is removed from its App Store over concerns about potential Chinese access to user data.

In a letter that was also sent to Google's Sundar Pichai, Carr suggested that Chinese access to U.S. user data is a national security concern, following on from a Buzfeed News report that TikTok staff in China were able to access U.S. customer data until as recently as January 2022.

As you know TikTok is an app that is available to millions of Americans through your app stores, and it collects vast troves of sensitive data about those U.S. users. TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance — an organization that is beholden to the Communist Party of China and required by the Chinese law to comply with PRC's surveillance demands," the letter says. Carr goes on to say that TikTok is an "unacceptable national security risk."

TikTok has already said that it is moving U.S. customer data back to the United States via an Oracle could service. It also seems unlikely that Apple nor Google will actually make moves to ban TikTok from the App Store and Play Store respectively. Especially if TikTok parent company ByteDance follows through on its data repatriation claims.

TikTok has become one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to share and consume short video content in a vertical format. It's also seen competition grow of late, with Instagram and YouTube getting involved with their own variations on the same theme.

What you need to know

• Apple has made a new TikTok filter available that helps you look like Harry Styles in the latest AirPods ad.
• The filter includes music from Styles' latest album.

Have you ever wished you could star in your very own AirPods ad, complete with funky filters and eye-catching colors? Now you can, with a new filter that's available on everyone's go-to viral video platform — TikTok.

Apple recently ran a new AirPods ad with Harry Styles and now you can get that same psychedelic look by taking advantage of a new TikTok filter called AirPods Silhouette. It's an official thing, too, with Apple now leaning into TikTok more than ever.

Alongside all those colors you'll also find yourself dancing along to music from Styles' latest Harry's House album, so make sure to get your best dancing shoes out before hitting the record button!

Trying the new filter out is pretty simple, although the dancing part might be more difficult for those of us with two left feet!

1. Tap the (+) button to begin creating a new video.
2. Tap the Effects button and then enter a new search for "AirPods silhouettes" and you're done!

Now you just need to put your AirPods in and get dancing!

The new filter is part of a larger promotion that included Styles, AirPods, and Spatial Audio. The original ad was first shared earlier this month and has since been used online and on TV.

It was later confirmed that Styles donated his fee for the ad to the International Rescue Committee, an outfit that helps refugees in more than 40 countries around the world.

What you need to know

• TikTok is testing a feature that will show you who watched your videos so long as they follow you.
• Other people you follow will see which videos you watched.
• The feature isn't available to everyone just yet.

Video-based social network TikTok is testing a feature that will show people which of their followers have watched their videos. That also means that people you follow will be able to see which videos you watched, too.

The feature, which TikTok told TechCrunch is not yet widely available, was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, who posted about it on Twitter.

Navarra also says that the feature will be known as "post view history" and that it can also be disabled at any time via the Settings menu within the TikTopk app itself. It also appears that the history will only live for seven days — any videos that were watched eight days ago will not appear, for example.

With TikTok currently testing this feature it isn't yet known when, or even if, it will roll out to everyone. TikTok and other social networks test features with a limited number of users all the time and while many will eventually find their way into the apps we download from the App Store, that isn't always the case. We'll have to wait and see what happens with this particular feature.

Despite strong competition from the likes of Instagram, TikTok is one of the best iPhone apps for sharing and watching relatively short videos that cover all kinds of genres and categories. The app continues to go from strength to strength and TikTok will see this feature as an important one for users.

What you need to know

• A number of internet services are down right now for some users.
• In the United States, the issues are so far mostly focused on gaming services.
• In the United Kingdom, TikTok, Twitter, and more are experiencing issues.

A number of services and platforms on the internet are currently down.

According to Downdetector, Steam, Reddit, and more are experiencing connectivity issues for users. In the last hour alone, almost 20,000 people have reported issues with using Steam.

The issues are slightly different for users in the United Kingdom. According to Downdetector for that country, Discord, the Playstation Network, Twitter, and more are down. Issues reported regarding Discord are close to reaching over 1000 users.

It's currently unclear what is causing the connectivity issues across services and countries. For something so widespread, it usually falls on a cloud provider like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft's Azure, Google's cloud, or a DNS issue.

If we receive clarification or the issue resolves, we'll be sure to update this article to provide more information.

What you need to know

• TikTok has announced a new feature that will help people hide their faces when posting videos.
• TikTok Avatars are customizable avatars that will move with your head and face.
• The new feature will be instantly recognizable to users of Apple Memojis.

Introducing TikTok Avatars. Or Apple Memoji. It's hard to tell, but if you're posting to the video social network you'll need the former.

The new TikTok Avatars were announced via press release and will look immediately familiar to those of us who use Memoji on a daily basis. Just like Apple's offering, TikTok Avatars are "yet another way for people to showcase their individuality on TikTok."

TikTok is already one of the best iPhone apps at what it does and the addition of Memoj-like Avatars is one that will surely help turn people into creators even if they aren't normally ones for showing their faces on camera. In that respect alone, TikTok Avatars are sure to be a winner and should be applauded. TikTok says that it will also take user feedback into account as it continues to develop the feature, including ensuring TikTok Avatars are as diverse as they should be.

Those who already have TikTok installed should find an app update ready for them to download in the App Store, while everyone else can download the free app afresh.

What you need to know

• TikTok is launching a paid-for comedy show called Finding Jericho.
• The first two episodes of the eight-episode show will be free.
• Viewers will pay $4.99 to complete the season.

TikTok is launching a new subscription-only comedy show called Finding Jericho — the show will premiere on June 2 at 9 pm PT and will run for eight 30-minute episodes. New episodes will arrive every Tuesday and Thursday at the same time until it's finished.

The show will cost $4.99 for the entire season, although the first two episodes will be free to everyone with access to TikTok as some sort of trial. Anyone who wants to watch the other six episodes will need to pay up, of course.

THR was the first to report the news and has more details on who will be involved.

While TikTok is normally full of random people trying to be funnier than the last video you were subjected to, this new approach is an interesting one for a couple of reasons. First, it turns TikTok into a legitimate streaming video platform similar to Netflix and others. Second, it could get TikTok fans used to the idea of paying for premium content. TikTok has already begun to make moves in that direction with its new monthly subscription offering that will give larger creators a way to share exclusive content with fans.

Will TikTok one day be the best iPhone app for people wanting to pay for new streaming content? It seems unlikely considering the competition. But that clearly isn't stopping it from trying. From a creator's perspective, it all makes tons of sense. Creators who wouldn't get a show on Netflix now have one on TikTok. Albeit on a platform normally reserved for cat memes.

What you need to know

• TikTok is testing a change that makes it easier to see videos.
• A 'Clear Mode' removes buttons and text from videos, making them easier to see.
• The new feature is being tested with a limited number of people currently.

TikTok is testing a new feature that will get rid of all of the buttons and text from videos to make them easier to watch without getting distracted. The feature, called 'Clear Mode,' is now being tested with a limited number of people.

The feature, first shared by a Twitter user and spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, is enabled by tapping a new 'Clear Mode' button that gives TikTok users a new, cleaner interface that does away with things like comments, the name of the song that's used in the video, and more. It appears that the information can be brought back with a quick tap, should the need arise.

TikTok normally has a plethora of buttons and information on-screen at any one time, including a share button and more. Removing all of that cruft could make the browsing and video-watching experience more enjoyable, although it remains to be seen whether TikTok will roll this updated feature out to everyone in the future.

TechCrunch reports that, when asked, TikTok didn't have a comment to make about the new feature but with a seemingly small test pool it's possible that 'Clear Mode' is still in the early days of testing. TikTok could be watching to see how many times people use the feature, not to mention when they then need to come back out of it to share content. If 'Clear Mode' ultimately makes content less likely to be shared, it could be one that finds itself on the scrap heap.

TikTok is currently one of the best iPhone apps for sharing and watching short videos and it's always promising to see companies look to tweak things. Let's hope his is one feature that makes its way out of testing and onto everyone's devices.

What you need to know

• TikTok is launching a beta test of its new LIVE Subscription feature.
• Viewers will be able to pay for exclusive features and access to subscriber-only chat.
• The beta will become available to some creators starting May 26 with a global launch taking place in the coming months.

TikTok is getting ready to launch its LIVE creator subscriptions with the feature going live for some on May 26. Only a limited number of creators have been invited so far, although we can expect the number to grow as testing progresses. TikTok says the feature will be launched globally "over the coming months."

The new TikTok feature will allow creators to earn recurring fees directly from their followers, just like similar options from the likes of YouTube and Twitch. For their money subscribers can expect to receive perks including badges and a version of the chat that only they and other paying customers can see, TikTok says.

At launch, subscriber perks will include:

• Subscriber Badges: Subscribers receive badges that are displayed next to their name on their profile and upgraded over time.
• Custom Emotes: Subscribers get access to exclusive emotes custom-designed by the creators to use during LIVE sessions to bring the community together and make your sessions more spirited.
• Subscriber-Only Chat: When the subscriber-only chat is turned on, creators and their subscribers have exclusive access to one another, enhancing an even more personal connection between creator and viewer.

While TikTok isn't saying how much the subscription tiers will work out to, TechCrunch reports that some creators have already said that they are "comparable" to Twitch's pricing and revenue sharing. As an example, Twitch's $4.99 per month subscription means that creators take home between 50% and 70%.

This is the latest move by TikTok to try and give its creators a way to monetize their work, an attempt to ensure that they stay on the platform. TikTok is one of the best iPhone apps at what it does, but competition is fierce as the company tries to ensure the likes of Instagram don't eat its lunch.

What you need to know

• TikTok is reportedly testing games in its mobile apps.
• TikTok users in Vietnam are currently able to play games.
• Ads are likely to be attached to the games when they roll out elsewhere.

Video-based social network TikTok is reportedly keen to add mini-games to its app across multiple platforms with the company already testing them in Vietnam.

According to a new Reuters report, the addition of games would allow TikTok to earn more ad revenue, something that is never a bad thing when that's your entire business model.

The same report says that sources believe TikTok will roll games out more widely in South Asia, with the company keen to pull from parent company ByteDance's growing collection of gaming titles. A statement from a spokesperson didn't confirm the report as such, but did mention that TikTok has been testing HTML5 games with partners that include Zynga – the company behind a swathe of Facebook and mobile games.

TikTok isn't the first unexpected company to move into games, of course. Netflix has already done something similar, although TikTok's decision is likely to be more about selling ads against its games rather than driving pure user engagement. Reuters notes that even as things stand, TikTok is likely to see ad revenue triple to $11 billion this year.

What you need to know

• TikTok is rolling out changes that should help people get credit for their work.
• Video creators will be able to tag, credit, and mention another video in their own video's description.
• TikTok will prompt people to give credit during the video creation process.

TikTok is adding a new tool to its service that will make it easier for people to give proper credit to original creators when making their videos. The new tool means that people can now tag, credit, and mention a video in their own description.

The new move comes amid ongoing concerns that TikTok isn't great in terms of making sure that original creators get the credit they deserve when they come up with a video that others then either react to or use as part of their own content. This new change is aimed at making it easier for credit to be given, TikTok said in a press release.

Part of the change will also see TikTok prompt people to credit others during the video creation process, ensuring that they are less likely to forget.

TikTok is one of the best iPhone apps at what it does, despite the likes of Instagram and others working to try and replicate that.

TikTok says that the new tool will be rolling out to people over the next few weeks so creators might not see anything new just yet. Hang fire though, and you can learn more about what's coming in TikTok's newsroom post.

What you need to know

• TikTok is rolling out a new "Friends" tab.
• The new tab is replacing the existing "Discover" tab in the app.
• It's currently unclear if the change will occur for all users.

TikTok is throwing the "Discover" tab out in favor of connecting you more often with your friends.

As spotted by TechCrunch, TikTok has announced that it is rolling out the new "Friends" tab to more users. The existing "Discover tab" will be replaced with "Friends" over the coming weeks.

In a tweet, the company announced the move but did not specify if the new "Friends" tab will replace the "Discover" tab for all users.

According to the report, tapping on the new tab will show you videos from people you are connected with on the social media app. If you are currently not connected with anyone, TikTok will suggest connecting your account to your contacts or Facebook to find friends to connect with. It will also suggest people on TikTok that you might know.

The move shows that TikTok is now testing a move away from random content to try and sell itself as even more of a place to connect specifically with people you know or at least are connected to directly in the app. It pits the app more directly in contest with Snapchat, which currently reigns supreme as the social media app made for more personal connection for friends.

What you need to know

• TikTok has announced Pulse, a new ad program with revenue sharing.
• A 50-50 revenue split will allow creators to earn money, but only those with at least 100,000 followers.
• Only the top 4% of TikTok videos will be served ads.

TikTok has announced a new ad program called Pulse that will allow brands to put ads alongside the most popular videos on the platform. That's good news for creators, because it'll mean that they earn a cool 50% of TikTok Pulse ad revenue.

But there's a catch — TikTok says that the new program will only be available to creators with at least 100,000 followers and even then ads will only be placed alongside "the top 4% of all videos on TikTok." That bombshell came via a blog post, with the revenue split only being outed via a comment to The Verge.

TikTok says that Pulse will offer 12 different categories for brands to place ads next to including gaming, cooking, fashion, and more. That should ensure that ads for cooking equipment isn't appearing alongside the latest Elden Ring speed run, for example.

All of this will apparently kick off in June, but again only for some users — those in the United States will be available to take advantage of TikTok Pulse initially. Additional countries will come online this fall.

TikTok has become one of the best iPhone apps for sharing and watching video-based content and it's given creators a new way to get paid. TikTok pulse will be another avenue, but only for those at the very top of the game.

What you need to know

• TikTok is testing letting people dislike individual comments on videos.
• TikTok wants people to dislike poor-quality comments.
• It's suggested that dislikes will inform future proactive removal of comments.

TikTok is now testing a way for people to mark specific comments on videos as "irrelevant or inappropriate," the social network has confirmed in a newsroom post.

The move, TikTok says, will mean that it will be able to use the additional data as a way to proactively remove abusive content. However, only the person who dislikes the comment will see that they did — a move that TikTok hopes will reduce the chance of "ill-feeling."

"Alongside our work to proactively remove abusive and hateful content or behavior that violates our Community Guidelines, we also continue to explore new ways to help our community feel more in control over comments," the company said.

Beyond that, TikTok isn't saying an awful lot about what this really means or when we can expect it to have an impact on the quality of comments that are currently left on videos posted to its platform.

TikTok is one of the best iPhone apps at what it does, but it isn't perfect. Like any platform of its kind, it can suffer from comments that are harmful and hurtful. At least TikTok is now giving people the tools to mark those comments as such.

What you need to know

• TikTok has made its Effect House AR development tool available to all.
• The Effect House open beta is a progression from the previous closed beta.

Almost a year after it began testing it, TikTok has now made its AR development tool Effect House available to everyone. It's still a public beta though, so issues could well arise. But those looking to get into the world of AR can now do it with TikTok.

TikTok originally made the Effect House app available via a closed beta, but a press release notes that it has now been opened up to all creators and developers. The app includes tools that allow creators to build effects that can then be used by the wider TikTok world.

Despite its previous closed beta status, TikTok says that Effect House has still be used by more than 450 effect creators with effects published on TikTok.

Anyone who wants to take Effect House for a spin can download it now. Both Apple silicon and Intel versions of the download are available and TikTok has also made effect guides and more available, too.

What you need to know

• A new report says Facebook paid for a smear campaign against TikTok.
• It allegedly hired GOP digital consulting firm Targeted Victory to undermine TikTok in the U.S.

A new report says that Facebook's parent company Meta paid a GOP firm to smear TikTok in a nationwide campaign.

From The Washington Post:

The report highlights internal emails, one from a director of the firm stating it needed to "get the message out that while Meta is the current punching bag, TikTok is the real threat, especially as a foreign-owned app that is #1 in sharing data that young teens are using." The report says campaign operatives "were also encouraged to use TikTok's prominence as a way to deflect from Meta's own privacy and antitrust concerns."

It further highlights emails asking for ideas on local political reporters who could serve as a backchannel for anti-TikTok messages, as well as urging partners to push stories to local media painting TikTok in a bad light, working in one instance to spread rumors of a 'Slap the Teacher TikTok challenge'.

The report says Targeted Victory " has contracted with dozens of public relations firms across the United States to help sway public opinion against TikTok".

Targeted Victory was founded as a Republican Digital consulting firm, and received $237 million in Republican campaign spending in 2020.

The report further details other aspects of the campaign including targeted op-eds that were published in various local news outlets. You can read the full report here.

What you need to know

• TikTok has announced a new feature called Library.
• Library will include GIPHY Clips at launch.
• GIPHY Clips are GIFs with sound that can be spliced into TikTok videos.

TikTok today announced what it calls Library, a feature that gives people the chance to add GIPHY Clips to their videos for the first time.

GIPHY Clips are essentially GIFs but with audio and TikTok says that they will live in Library, a feature that will allow people to create new types of content — so the video-based social network says. GIPHY Clips can be spliced into videos when a creator wants to.

Not sure what any of that actually means or what it will look like in practice? Fear not — there's an example.

TikTok says there will be a few different types of GIPHY Clips available at launch including reactions, quotes, and more.

• Reactions: much like GIFs, content that captures a raw emotional reaction and are relatable to users make perfect Clips
• Quotes: memorable catchphrases and quotable moments from notable personalities
• People: fandom is real, and people look for their favorite celebrities, athletes, etc. to help express themselves
• Iconic moments: whether it's an awards speech, beloved TV characters, or game-changing play, these big moments are bound to be shareable conversation starters

Creators can learn more about how GIPHY Clips will work on the TikTok website, while GIPHY itself has also shared more details. Including a handy YouTube video showing how everything goes down in-app.

TikTok is one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to create, and indeed consume, relatively short videos. It'll be interesting to see how creators use the new feature beyond what we've already seen here.

What you need to know

• TikTok is working on adding a new watch history to its service.
• Users will be able to see the videos that they watched up to seven days ago.
• The new watch history can be disabled when required.

TikTok appears to be testing a feature that will allow people to find the videos they already watched, making them easier to share with friends and family.

Amazingly, TikTok doesn't already offer any sort of watch history feature and that often makes it impossible to find a video that you want to share after the fact. That now seems to be something the video-based social network is working to fix — and not a moment too soon.

The new feature appears to be in testing now and is already available to a limited number of people. Hammod Oh is one of those people, as TechCrunch reports.

In its current form, it appears that the watch history allows people to see the last seven days of videos, although the feature can also be disabled if required.

TikTok has become one of the best iPhone apps in terms of sharing relatively short videos online, although those videos continue to get longer and longer. The inability to find videos that were watched yesterday, for example, has long been an irritation among those who frequent the platform and it's great news that TikTok is now working to fix that.

There is no news on when the new feature will roll out to everyone, with a TikTok spokesperson telling TechCrunch that they didn't have any information to share. We can only cross our fingers and hope that this change won't be too far away, though.

What you need to know

• TikTok has announced that videos can be up to 10 minutes long.
• Videos posted to TikTok were previously limited to three minutes.

TikTok has confirmed that it is extending the length of videos to a whole ten minutes, whether people actually seem to want that, or not.

News broke last week that TikTok was testing longer videos and that people weren't convinced that was the way to go. Now, the video-based social network has announced that it's forging on regardless.

In a statement to TechCrunch, TikTok said that the extension comes after the outfit set about thinking of "new ways to bring value" to its users.

Previously, TikToks were limited to three minutes which already seemed like a long time considering the 15-second limit that the service launched with. TikTok has increased that time limit steadily in the last year or so and it seems more than likely that 15-minute videos won't be all that far away, too.

The reasons for all of this are obvious — ad dollars. Longer videos allow for mid-roll ads, something YouTube has made great use of already. For now though, it's all down to the creators. Will they take advantage of the longer video format or will they prefer to stick to shorter clips instead?

What you need to know

• TikTok is testing longer videos, sometimes as long as ten minutes.
• User feedback has told TikTok that people don't want longer videos.
• Longer videos would allow TikTok to sell more ads.

TikTok has been testing longer and longer videos since late last year, often going as far as a whole ten minutes. Those are YouTube-level videos — and while its users say they don't like them, TikTok doesn't seem to care.

The theory is simple — the longer the video, the more ads TikTok can sell which in turn means more money. You don't need to read much more into it than that, according to a WIRED report.

All of this means that it's surely only a matter of time before we're watching longer TikTok videos, even if the social network's market research suggests that "videos longer than a minute long were stressful."

TikTok extended its minute-long videos to three minutes less than a month after that revelation, clearly showing that ads are more important. But there's a delicate balancing act to be had here — if TikTok really does stress people out, will they just stop coming back for more cat videos? The app runs the risk of losing its place as the best iPhone app for short-form videos.

What you need to know

• TikTok might be in some trouble in Japan.
• A new report says the company has admitted that it used "stealth marketing" practices to promote content.
• Offending content may have been posted to Twitter without informing the audience that they were sponsored videos.

A new report says that TikTok has admitted to posting videos on Twitter without telling the audience that they were sponsored content, in breach of marketing guidelines in Japan.

Nikkei Asia reports:

The report is clear that while there are no Japanese laws that ban stealth marketing, there is a "voluntary code from an industry group" which forbids the practice as it is considered misleading to consumers. A ByteDance representative in Tokyo reportedly told Nikkei that undisclosed payments were made to influences "for the purpose of spreading TikTok content", as such it seems these videos should have been labeled as such but weren't, giving off the impression that they were, in fact, word-of-mouth campaigns rather than paid content. In a similar report Japan Times notes that ByteDance said the practice had been in use since December, but had not been aimed at increasing app download "and therefore it thought that it was not obliged to clarify that the videos were intended for public relations activities." The company also said in its statement that the measure could have mislead users and that it would take necessary measures to stop it happening again.

One marketing group president told Nikkei the matter was "extremely problematic for platforms with high user volumes to engage in practices that are confused for normal word-of-mouth campaigns" and that the incident "could cause the entire industry to lose credibility." While it is considered one of the best iPhone apps around (and certainly one of the most popular), TikTok has come under pressure from rival services like YouTube's Shorts and Instagram Reels, with the report noting that some observers believe increased competition is pressuring TikTok into "secretly" paying influences to share content.

What you need to know

• TikTok is rolling Stories into the main "For You" page.
• Stories might be in the process of being renamed.
• Stories themselves are still not available to everyone.

The hugely popular video-sharing social network TikTok has made some changes to its Stories feature —a feature that still isn't available to everyone across its platform. The main change is one that puts Stories into the "For You" page of users with a new blue "Story" tag added to help differentiate them.

As first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, TikTok's also changing the mode people use when creating new Stories, too. It's now called "Quick" which might suggest that the feature itself might get a name change.

While Stories aren't yet available to everyone, those that can use them get to experience something very similar to features offered by Instagram and other social networks. Stories are short videos that automatically disappear after 24 hours which makes them different from other videos shared on TikTok.

There is no telling when we can expect TikTok to roll Stories out to everyone but it seems unlikely to happen until it has squared away simple things like the name of the feature itself. The change of the Stories creation tool to a new "Quick" name could point to more branding changes along the road, presumably before Stories are made available to all.

TikTok is one of the best iPhone apps for sharing and watching short videos despite inroads made by the likes of Instagram. It will be interesting to see how the arrival of Stories changes the TikTok landscape, however. What will TikTok creators do with videos now that they can disappear after a day?

What you need to know

• TikTok is testing a Repost button for easier re-sharing of videos.
• The Repost button doesn't appear on all videos.
• Not all users have access to the new Repost button as of right now.

Video-based social network TikTok continues the rollout of its Repost button, giving people a new way to share videos that they find. The videos appear in the feeds of others, but unlike Twitter's Retweet button, they won't also pop up on profile pages. Now, it also seems that the button itself is only going to be available on select videos as well.

While the Repost button is still being rolled out — I don't see it at all, for example — TechCrunch reports that the button only shows up on videos that have been found via the For You page. That means that only videos that have been through TikTok's algorithm can be Reposted, at least for now.

It isn't immediately clear whether that's a feature of the new button or just a way for TikTok to limit its rollout. Either way, its appearance anywhere is better than the current alternative that requires people to share content as a whole new video.

TikTok is one of the best iPhone apps for watching and sharing video-based content and the arrival or a proper way to re-share videos is definitely a welcome one.

What you need to know

• TikTok appears to be testing a new way for people to share content with their followers.
• A new 'Repost' option is popping up for some users.
• Reposted content won't appear on profile pages.

Insanely popular video social network TikTok continues to tweak things, this time adding a button that will allow people to 'repost' content so that their followers see it. Right now the feature appears to only be available to some people and is likely still being tested ahead of a more widespread rollout.

As popular as TikTok is, it has suffered from the lack of an easy method to reshare content. Similar to a retweet on Twitter, the new Repost button appears to do exactly that — take whatever video you're watching and then share it with your followers. According to social media consultant Matt Navarra, that's all it does, however. Don't expect to see these videos on your profile.

It's important to note that the feature seems to be either slowly rolling out, or only being tested with a subset of users. I checked just now and don't get the option from my own TikTok account — but you might be more lucky.

TikTok has quickly become the best iPhone app at what it does, despite concerns about the mental health of its users — especially those who are young. The arrival of an easier way to share content should also help boost the best videos on the platform as well, benefiting creators greatly.

What you need to know

• TikTok is creating 300 delivery-only restaurants.
• It will be powered by the company that helped create MrBeast Burger.
• Menu items will include TikTok's viral baked feta pasta.

TikTok is going to open 300 delivery-only restaurants in the U.S. to try and capitalize on some of its viral food trends.

As reported by Bloomberg:

Virtual Dining concepts is the company that helped launch MrBeast Burger and says that 300 TikTok restaurants are planned at launch, with a further 700 expected by the end of 2022. Co-founder Robert Earl described the situation as a unique opportunity given TikTok's one billion monthly viewers saying "It's the first time there's a brand like this out there—an audience of hundreds of millions of people." From VDC's website:

As you might expect the TikTok restaurants will serve viral food items from the platform on its menu, including the world-famous viral baked feta pasta. Prices will be "comparable to other Virtual Dining Concept brands" according to the report. The menu will change quarterly with viral items being added and some constant offerings.

According to TikTok, profits from the restaurant will go to creators of the menu dishes and to support promising cooks on its platform.

What you need to know

• TikTok is aware that its algorithm can sometimes send people down unwanted rabbit holes.
• Changes to the For You page algorithm should prevent users from seeing the same kinds of content too often.

Video social network TikTok says that it is going to make changes to the way its algorithm works in an attempt to keep the For You feeds fresh. The move will ensure that people don't find themselves watching the same kinds of content repeatedly, something that TikTok has become known for.

While that TikTok behavior has been seen as a positive in the pat because of the way it displays content you're likely to enjoy, it can also be negative with devastating results. And while Tik Tok said in an announcement post that the algorithm works in a way people enjoy, it does have downsides.

TikTok goes on to say that it is making changes to try to avoid sending people down unwanted rabbit holes.

TikTok and other social networks have come under fire of late due to the way they can impact mental health, something that this change is clearly designed to help with. We'll have to see exactly how things change as the new algorithm gets to work.

What you need to know

• Video social network TikTok has shared a ton of data about the year that was 2021.
• Stats on popular content and big winners have been shared in a Newsroom post.

2021 saw TikTok become even more popular than it already was and now the video-based social network has shared details on the big winners of the year, including which accounts grew the most.

In a lengthy Newsroom post, TikTok shared details of how its users impacted people across the United States.

Stats include the most-watched videos from across the United States and around the world, with @totouchanemu - Drone Dancing coming out in the top spot on both lists. Other information included the most-used songs as well as what TikTok calls "breakthrough stars," including none other than Taylor Swift. You might have heard of her.

The full Newsroom post is well worth checking out if you're interested in learning what's done well on TikTok over the last year. How many of those top videos have popped up on your For You page?

TikTok has undoubtedly become one of the world's best iPhone apps for losing time. Now we know exactly what we've been watching while doing it.

What you need to know

• TikTok has been updated to add support for iOS 15's SharePlay.
• The 'For You' page turns into a 'For Us' page when SharePlay is enabled via FaceTime.

Popular video streaming and sharing app TikTok has been updated to add support for SharePlay and it actually offers a pretty great use of the new iOS 15 feature.

As spotted by a Twitter user and then spied by 9to5Mac, using SharePlay over FaceTime causes TikTok's 'For You' page to turn into a 'For Us' page, effectively mixing the feed using videos that would normally be served to the people on the call. It's an interesting idea, although it does potentially open the door for embarrassment depending on which side of TikTok you happen to be on.

Predictably, TikTok's release notes make no mention of SharePlay whatsoever, but the feature is definitely there.

Being able to watch videos via SharePlay could be a great way for people to enjoy time together even when they have to be apart and it's super cool to see TikTok taking advantage of the API in this way. It'll be super interesting to see what other apps offer in the future, too.

Anyone with a TikTok account should be able to take this for a spin so long as all parties are using iOS 15.1 or later. Simply start a FaceTime call, open TikTok, and tap the SharePlay button.

SharePlay is probably one of the best iPhone features that most people don't know exists. Apps like TikTok adding support will hopefully improve matters in that regard.