Image Credit: Twitter

Following in the footsteps of Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Spotify, Twitter may be next to copy TikTok’s feature set.

In a Tweet, Twitter announce they have begun testing an updated Explore tab on the app. Some people who use Twitter in English on the latest version of Android or iOS will receive the update. Twitter’s Explore tab can be found by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the app. Here, users can find content that’s trending, tailored to them, a great source for breaking news and reactions.

As shown above, the update changes the Explore page’s list based layout to one that’s… eerily familiar. From the full-screen content, to vertical scrolling, to the For you tab, to the way the username and caption is displayed, Twitter seem to be the next social media platform to copy TikTok. The example below shows videos as the primary focus of the For you page, while tapping Trending takes you to a more traditional list view.

A Tweet from Twitter India suggests a large portion of the testing is happening there, incidentally where TikTok was banned last year. Twitter is of course not the first platform to copy TikTok, after Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Snapchat Spotlight launched in the last couple of years. Even Spotify recently dipped their toes into the format recently.

It’s no wonder all of these companies are experimenting with the formula, as TikTok pass one billion active users and acts as the go to social media platform, particularly for Gen-Z. Despite fooling no one and everyone seeing the feature as a TikTok rip-off, this doesn’t matter. If the update sees significant usage, we will likely see a larger roll out in the coming weeks. However adoption will require more than copying the design of TikTok. TikTok’s most addictive feature is the hidden algorithm that understands what you like. Twitter have algorithm-driven content both on the current For you page as well as occasional suggestions in the main feed. Judging by my Twitter For you page, as well as the feed suggestions, Twitter have a ways to go before matching TikTok’s level of understanding me.

Did you know RouteNote distribute to TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and many other streaming services and social media platforms for free, allowing artists to earn revenue online?