TikTok is set to launch its own Instagram alternative

Instagram is attempting to compete with TikTok in the short video segment, but the most popular features of the American social network remain photo posts in the main feed and the Stories section with content that is available for only 24 hours. Now, TikTok is also working on its own application that will rival Instagram's photo feed.

In the latest version of the TikTok app, numerous references to a new app called TikTok Photos have been discovered, as reported by TheSpAndroid blog. This app is likely to closely resemble Instagram, featuring a feed for posting photos that friends and family can see.

TikTok Photos will also allow users to post some content from the main TikTok app. One code snippet explains that this is a platform where users can find "like-minded individuals who appreciate photo posts." While there is no release date for TikTok Photos yet, an official announcement is expected soon.

Popular Instagram bloggers increasingly complain that the platform is placing more emphasis on video and losing its initial purpose as a photo-sharing platform. TikTok could potentially fill this niche, but it might not be the best time for such initiatives as US lawmakers are preparing to vote on a bill that could force ByteDance to sell TikTok under the threat of a ban in the United States.