TikTok is testing 5-minute uploads for ... longer memes?

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By Oliver Haslam
published

TikTok
TikTok (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • TikTok is testing a new five-minute upload limit.
  • Some have reported that the limit has been extended to as many as 10 minutes.

TikTok is now testing giving users the ability to upload longer videos. While those who are part of the test group appear to have been given five-minute limits, some have even reported that they can now upload videos ten minutes in length.

The latest round of tests comes as TikTok continues its battle with Instagram and Snapchat. While most people are currently limited to uploading videos of three minutes or less, this move could potentially give creators more leeway when coming up with new video ideas.

The change was spotted by Matt Navarra on Twitter, with 9to5Mac spotting the tweet.

TikTok has fast become one of the best iPhone apps for sharing short videos, but its continued lengthening of those videos means it is now moving away from the quick clips that brought it so much popularity. As it continues to lengthen the video limits, could it eventually begin to compete with YouTube?

TikTok is also testing other features including something similar to Instagram Stories — content that will disappear 24 hours after it was posted. TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram continue to blur the lines between one another — which one will ultimately win out remains to be seen.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.