What is TikTok Now?
TikTok Now is a new TikTok feature that lets users take timed photos and videos. It’s TikTok’s version of BeReal, an app where users post candid moments once a day. With TikTok Now, users get a daily prompt to capture a 10-second video or static photo to share.1
The TikTok Now feature aims to give an authentic look into users’ daily lives. Once notified, you have 3 minutes to take a TikTok Now photo or video. The content is then shared to the TikTok Now feed, where friends can view and interact with each other’s candid moments.2
Is TikTok Now available for everyone?
As of September 2022, TikTok Now is still in early release. It’s only available in select markets like the US, UK, Canada, etc. TikTok announced the launch of TikTok Now in September 2022, describing it as a “new feature that invites you and your friends to capture what you’re doing in the moment.” While some users may see TikTok Now appear in their app, it is not yet widely rolled out to all users globally.
TikTok Now is currently only officially available on iOS and Android in limited markets. As noted in the TikTok Creator Portal, the countries where it has launched include the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and Japan. For users in other countries, TikTok Now is not yet accessible.
The feature is expected to have a gradual rollout. TikTok has not provided specifics on when it will expand to additional markets. For now, only some users in supported countries will see TikTok Now as an option within their TikTok app.
Who can use TikTok Now?
To use TikTok Now, you must be at least 18 years old. TikTok announced in March 2023 that accounts for all users under 18 will have automatic 60-minute daily screen time limits, with additional restrictions on messaging and accessibility settings (Source). Therefore, only adult users 18+ can access and enable TikTok Now.
Additionally, your TikTok account must be public in order to use TikTok Now. The feature is not available for private accounts. You can check your account settings to make sure your profile is set to public.
How to get TikTok Now
To get access to TikTok Now, you first need to receive an invite from TikTok. According to the TikTok Creator Portal (source), here are the steps to get TikTok Now:
Open the TikTok app and check if you see a TikTok Now invite. The invite will appear as a pop-up when you first open the app.
If you don’t have an invite yet, you can join the waitlist to get access. Go to your profile page and look for the TikTok Now icon next to the ‘+’ button. Tap the icon and then tap “Join” to join the waitlist.
Once you’re off the waitlist and get an invite, follow the prompts to enable TikTok Now. It will ask you to enable permissions for TikTok Now and set a time for daily notifications.
TikTok is currently rolling out TikTok Now slowly to select communities. According to TikTok (source), the goal is to expand to more countries in the coming months. So if you don’t have access yet, be patient as you may get an invite over time.
Enabling TikTok Now
To enable TikTok Now, first check if you see a prompt within the TikTok app inviting you to “Try Now.” This prompt indicates that TikTok Now is available in your region and you meet the eligibility criteria. Simply tap on “Try Now” when this pops up to begin setting up TikTok Now.
If you don’t see the TikTok Now prompt, you can manually enable it by going to your settings. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right. Then go to Settings > Privacy > TikTok Now and toggle “Enable Now” on. This will allow you to start using the TikTok Now feature.
According to TikTok’s newsroom article, “Introducing more ways to create and connect with TikTok Now,” eligibility for TikTok Now is based on a variety of factors including device, region, and age of account [1]. So even if the feature is not enabled for you yet, it may become available in the future.
Setting your TikTok Now time
You can choose when you want to receive TikTok Now daily prompts. Pick a time that works for your schedule. To set your TikTok Now time in the app, go to your profile and tap the three line menu. Select “TikTok Now” and choose “Set Time.” You’ll be able to pick when you want to receive your daily TikTok Now prompt.
According to TikTok’s Creator Portal, “Once you get the Now notification, you have up to 3 minutes to capture and share your TikTok Now” https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/product-feature-updates/tiktok-now/. So pick a convenient time you know you’ll be available to open the app and share your TikTok Now. You can change the daily time as needed.
Posting your TikTok Now
Once you have TikTok Now enabled, you can start posting your own TikTok Now updates. When you get the TikTok Now prompt at a random time during the day, simply tap it to open the camera. You’ll have 3-10 seconds to take a quick photo or short video clip. The time limit encourages users to capture authentic, in-the-moment content to share with their friends.
As explained on TikTok’s newsroom page, after you take a photo or video clip for your TikTok Now, you can add some text or stickers before posting. Keep in mind the content must be created in the moment when you get the TikTok Now prompt – you cannot upload pre-existing photos or videos from your camera roll.
Once you’re happy with your quick TikTok Now post, simply tap “Share” and it will be posted to the TikTok Now feed for your friends to see throughout the day. The goal is to capture and share fun, authentic snippets of your day without overthinking or spending too much time editing.
Viewing TikTok Now Posts
Once TikTok Now is enabled, you can view TikTok Now posts from people you follow in the TikTok Now feed. Simply open the TikTok app and swipe right from your For You feed to access the TikTok Now feed.
Scroll through the TikTok Now feed to see posts from people you follow. TikTok Now posts only last 24 hours, so the content is timely and up-to-date. You can like and comment on TikTok Nows that you enjoy interacting with in the same way you would on regular TikTok posts.
TikTok designed the TikTok Now feed to feel spontaneous and authentic, giving you a glimpse into what your friends are up to in the moment. It aims to help people connect more authentically.
You can also view your own TikTok Now posts for the last 24 hours through the TikTok Now Memories page. Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right and select “TikTok Now Memories” to see your past daily posts.
Overall, the TikTok Now feed allows you to easily view timely content from those you follow. Engage with TikTok Now posts just as you would with regular TikTok posts.
Turning off TikTok Now
If you want to stop TikTok Now from automatically taking and posting photos, you can easily disable the feature in your settings. Here’s how to turn off TikTok Now:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy.
3. Tap on “Disable Now.” This will prevent TikTok Now from accessing your camera and location to take and post photos.
4. If you ever want to re-enable TikTok Now later, you can just go back to Settings > Privacy and tap on “Enable Now.” It’s easy to toggle the feature on and off.
Once you disable TikTok Now, it will no longer automatically capture and share photos of your day. You can still view any previous Now posts in your Memories tab, but no new ones will be added. Disabling Now is the only way to fully stop the automated photo capturing.
TikTok Now tips
Here are some tips to get the most out of TikTok Now:
Be authentic and casual in your TikTok Now posts. Don’t overthink it, just share fun casual moments from your day. Your followers want to see the real you.
Engage with your followers by reacting to their Nows. Tap through the Now posts from people you follow and like or comment on them to interact.
Check TikTok Now at least 3 times a day if you can. Frequently posting and engaging will help you build relationships with your followers.
Consider using text, stickers, effects or duets to make your Nows more unique and entertaining.
Turn on notifications so you don’t miss any TikTok Now updates from people you follow. Open your profile, tap the 3 lines icon, then ‘Settings and privacy’ > ‘Push notifications’ to adjust.
Opt out of TikTok Now if you don’t want to participate. You can toggle it off in the app settings. Your profile and privacy settings carry over from regular TikTok.
Have fun with TikTok Now! The more you use it, the more it will adapt to your interests and become tailored to you.