TikTok is introducing voice comments, polls and expanded photo-sharing tools as it seeks to make conversations beneath videos more interactive.
The new features include audio messages of up to one minute, creator-led polls, comments containing photo carousels and Live Photos. The changes are being rolled out across the platform, with some arriving globally immediately and others being introduced over the next month.
Users will be able to record a voice comment by tapping the microphone icon in the comment box. Once posted, the message can be played by anyone viewing the discussion.
TikTok said voice comments will follow the same Community Guidelines as other content on the service. A company spokesperson said automated systems, including speech-to-text transcription, will be used alongside human moderation to detect policy breaches.
The voice feature is being made available worldwide over the next month to users aged 18 and over.
Creators can now add polls to comments on their own videos, with the function becoming available globally after previously being offered to some users. Polls can contain up to five choices, and creators can set how long voting remains open before monitoring the results in the comment section.
The tool is designed for decisions such as choosing a future video idea, selecting an outfit or deciding what to cook, allowing viewers to take part directly beneath a creator’s post.
Photo carousel comments will allow users to attach up to nine images in a single comment, rather than posting photographs individually. The feature is being rolled out globally over the next month.
Live Photo comments are available worldwide from now. TikTok said they would show a short burst of movement, giving viewers a brief preview of the moment captured before they view the full image.
