Developers tend to check the code of certain sites, whether it's to look for vulnerabilities or upcoming updates that haven't been announced yet. In this instance, a dev may have stumbled upon what looks like a photo-sharing app similar to Instagram.
TikTok's Potential Instagram-Like App
It has already been established that TikTok has a huge influence when it comes to short-form videos, and it looks like the company will also be trying its luck in photo-sharing, one that could rival Instagram. A developer found pieces of code that point to this possibility.
Going by the name AssembleDebug, the developer went through a decompilation process after pulling the app's APKs and compared it with the older version. He then found a code that pointed to a "TikTok Photos" platform.
According to the blog post, it might be TikTok's way of allowing users to post photos as they are, and not in the current form they are in now on the app where they appear as regular videos and users will just slide the image to see the next one.
Based on the code, the app will let users "reach other like-minded people who enjoy photo posts." With the line "Share to TikTok Photos," and "Your post has been shared to TikTok Photos," it could also mean that the photo app would be synced to the base TikTok app.
Plus, there is an option that says "Sync Your posts to TikTok Photos," indicating that users will have the option to toggle the sync feature on and off. If the sync is toggled on, TikTok will "sync your public photos to the new app, whether you close the pop-up or not."
It's unclear when the potential photo app will be released, but a line present within the code says "TikTok Photos will be launched soon, we hope to help you gain new audiences in the new app," so it will likely be announced within the year at the earliest.
There are even images that show what the app's icon would look like. At first glance, it looks similar to PayPal, only it uses TikTok's color scheme and it does not resemble the two Ps. If it does get released, it's likely going to be available on both iOS and Android.
Will It Be Affected By the Looming Ban
The ban is still in the process of being passed, but if TikTok is effectively banned in the US, then the upcoming app will probably be affected as well, especially since the main concern is that TikTok is owned by a China-based company.
If ByteDance, TikTok's parent company does release the app, it will probably attract the same level of concern that the base app gets. That's not to say that TikTok will delay or cancel the release if they did plan on it.
The short-form video app is a popular platform globally, and with the right marketing strategy and convenient features, it could achieve success even without a user base in the US. Of course, it will have a friend competition with the already established Instagram first.
