TikTok testing streaks to boost engagement

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TikTok has been testing out a new streaks feature with select users to see whether it increases engagement on the platform.
The streaks work in a similar fashion to a feature that Snapchat also makes use of.
It’s unclear what incentives TikTok will offer for long streaks, outside of it being a status symbol.

We never thought that engagement or time on the platform was something that TikTok would be concerned with given the sheer popularity of the short-format video app, but as is usually the case in social media, more is better.

To that end, TechCrunch is reporting that TikTok is testing a new feature that has been dubbed “streaks” for now.

Those who use Snapchat regularly will know that name sounds familiar, as that app too has a streaks feature which is based on how often two users direct message one another. In the case of TikTok, if you DM someone more than three days in a row, a streaks badge will appear next to the chat. There is also a number that appears, denoting how many days the streak has been going.

Should neither party DM one another for 24 hours, the badge will disappear.

TikTok has confirmed that it is indeed testing out the feature to TechCrunch, but did not provide any further details on the endgame for streaks, nor did it share an official statement on the matter.

As such, it is unclear whether streaks will indeed yield more engagement on the platform. It is also unknown what kind of reward or in-app benefit users will get from having streaks. In the case of Snapchat, it has social currency more than anything else and serves as a status symbol to show how close you may be to someone.

Its parent company, Snap Inc. also introduced a paid feature to pause streaks in its app, along with the ability to restore them, although it’s not known whether this has yielded any notable revenue for the company.

Hopefully, though, TikTok has a little more in mind with its version of streaks. This especially as the likelihood of a ban in the United States looks more certain given neither ByteDance (which owns TikTok), nor the US government, appear to be switching their stance on divestment.

Should you be one of the people who has been selected to test out streaks, you can find more information about it in the notification settings of the TikTok app. It can also be disabled from there if the feature does not appeal to you.