TikTok Notes Begins Rolling Out in Canada, Offering Instagram Alternative

TikTok has begun to roll out its new Instagram rival app, TikTok Notes. While the core app remains to cater to short-form videos, TikTok Notes is focused on sharing photos and image carousels.

TikTok Notes has begun to open its doors in Canada and Australia at first. The app is available on iOS and Android as the company conducts its “limited testing,” according to a tweet. The app is described as a “lifestyle platform that offers informative photo-text content about people’s lives.”

/2 We hope that the TikTok community will use TikTok Notes to continue sharing their moments through photo posts. Whether documenting adventures, expressing creativity, or simply sharing snapshots of one's day, the TikTok Notes experience is designed for those who would like to… pic.twitter.com/KPXJqbaOdG

— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) April 17, 2024

Having gained access to TikTok Notes, the app certainly feels like it’s in its early stages of inception. The home screen is comprised of generated ‘For You’ content that you can scroll through and click into. However, there is a ‘Following’ tab to see curated photos from those you’re following. The layout is a bit reminiscent of Pinterest, with two grid-like columns running down the screen. You can also see the creator and how many likes each post has.

On the bottom of the screen is the ‘Home’ button, a search function, the ‘Create’ tab, ‘Notifications,’ and a tab for your ‘Profile.’ The overall UI and flow of the app are very reminiscent of Instagram.

When you log in, you’ll be prompted to bring over any photo content from TikTok to begin building out your feed. TikTok Notes will also automatically bring over your profile bio. You can, however, start fresh if you’d like. It’s also worth noting that none of your followers or those you are following come over to TikTok Notes. Perhaps this is due to the limited testing. Though off the heels of Threads and how much it syncs to Instagram, this feels like an oversight.

It’s not yet known when TikTok Notes will leave its testing phase and come to other markets.