TikTok is the latest social platform to step back from the BeReal trend, with the announcement that it’s retiring ‘TikTok Now’, its copycat functionality that it launched in September last year.
TikTok Now was launched as an in-app functionality in some markets, and a separate app in others. It’s not clear if the solo app will be shuttered, but the in-app option will soon be no more.
As you can see in this alert, shared by social media expert Matt Navarra, the option will soon be ‘discontinued’, though users will still be able to access their previously posted TikTok Now content in the app.
It’s the latest sign that the BeReal trend is fading out, with the app itself also seeing a drop off in users, as it seeks to extend its functionality. It recently began testing a Bonus BeReal with users in the UK, as well as ‘RealPeople’, which enables users to follow celebrities.
It remains to be seen whether these updates will catch on, but the main challenge for BeReal seems to be that it’s more of a functionality than a separate app, and outside of a prompt per day, there’s just not that much more you can build into the core experience.
Though BeReal says that it’s going fine. Back in April, the app reported that it’s now up to 20 million daily actives, and it’s continuing to grow around the world. That’s a jump on the 10 million users it reported in August 2022, but it also shows that it hasn’t maintained significant growth momentum in the six months since.
That’s likely why Instagram has also slowed its development of its ‘Candid’ clone feature, with TikTok now moving in-trend, presumably due to lack of interest.
For TikTok users, then, it’s likely not a big blow, as they probably weren’t actively using Now anyway. But maybe, for users of the separate app, they may have more community and connection via the option.
We’ve asked TikTok for more info on the future of the app, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
UPDATE: TikTok says that the standalone TikTok Now app will remain available for the time being.
