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TikTok Now, the clone you probably never used, is being removed.

It didn’t last very long, within nine months of its release, TikTok announced that they are discontinuing the in-app functionality TikTok Now due to declining users. Is this the end of the ‘real’ trend? Dorst & Lesser did the research!

TikTok Now, entertain and share your moments with friends

There’s a chance you’ve never used it, so let’s go back to the beginning. TikTok Now was launched last September and had a similar approach to BeReal, last year’s big app sensation. However, TikTok Now added the ability to create 10-second videos instead of just photos like BeReal. With this ability, the company aimed to create “authentic and spontaneous” connections on TikTok.

Now, about nine months later, the in-app functionality is being discontinued due to declining users. Is the ‘real’ trend over? While BeReal claims to be doing well with around 20 million daily active users, we haven’t seen significant growth in the past six months. TikTok is not the only company that has experimented with BeReal-like features. Snapchat made an earlier attempt with ‘Dual Camera’ and Instagram with ‘Candid Stories.’ After being tired of aesthetic content, BeReal provided a nice counterbalance.

It’s not always easy to understand exactly why some features are successful and others are not. In the case of TikTok Now, it may be that the community already places such a strong emphasis on authenticity through the regular platform that this feature was no longer special to them. However, at Dorst & Lesser, we believe it’s important to continue producing ‘real’ content while constantly introducing new features. In this way, we keep the community engaged and encourage them to constantly innovate.