When Snapchat launched the “My Story” feature in October 2013, it was an instant success. Stories on Snapchat enhanced the way users interacted with their friends and followers on the platform. With the new update, users could post a series of snaps and add them to their story that would appear for the next twenty-four hours for all their friends to see.
The feature proved to be an early landmark update – an update that dramatically enhanced the engagement of the platform as its popularity skyrocketed.
Other major platforms soon followed in Snapchat’s steps. Instagram launched Stories in 2016, followed by WhatsApp and Facebook the next year. With time, it has become clear as crystal that stories are one of the most effective ways to increase engagement among users. It is one feature that has been tried and tested multiple times and has shown the same positive results each time.
So, it came to be that TikTok– the pioneer of short videos and the new rage of these days– stepped into the Stories space. The platform has been testing the feature since August last year and is slowly expanding the feature to more users. However, if you cannot access this feature on your TikTok app, we’ll help you with that in this blog.
Keep reading the blog to learn how stories work on TikTok, why you might not be able to use Stories on TikTok, and how you can get the feature, if possible. Let’s dive straight into it.
How TikTok Stories are different from traditional stories:
While there are many similarities, a few things distinguish TikTok Stories from stories on other platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.
The first difference is the public nature of comments and likes. Unlike stories on Instagram, TikTok stories are much more public in nature, which means comments and likes on a story can be viewed by anyone who can see the story. In other words, the stories are similar to the short videos you see on the platform.
The second difference lies in the private nature of viewers. When you upload a story on Instagram or Snapchat, you get to see who has viewed your story, right? Well, it’s not the same with TikTok Stories. You cannot see the names and usernames of viewers, but only the number of viewers.
The above differences indicate that TikTok wants to make its stories similar to the usual short videos. However, things are in an early stage and are subject to change.
How to Fix Story Feature Not Showing on TikTok
As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, stories on TikTok are currently in the testing phase. In fact, they have been in the testing phase for the last ten months (That’s a long time).
While TikTok is constantly making this feature available to more and more users, the feature still remains under testing. So, if you cannot see the feature in your TikTok account, there is no need to worry, as it usually doesn’t have to do anything with a bug or problem.
The feature is currently available in the app’s beta version, and beta users can access this feature in the countries where the feature has been rolled out. Users in the US and the UK have reported seeing the feature on TikTok.
So, if you want to know whether Stories are available on TikTok in your region, make sure to keep your app updated. You can also join the beta program of TikTok by following these steps:
Step 1: Open the Play Store app and search for ‘TikTok’ using the search bar at the top.
Step 2: From the results screen, tap on TikTok to go to TikTok’s app page.
Step 3: On this page, scroll down until you find the Join the Beta section. Tap on the green-colored Join button.
Step 4: A pop-up will appear for confirmation. Tap on Join to confirm.
The beta registration will take a few minutes to complete. You can then avail of the beta features in future updates.
This is all you can do if you don’t see the Stories feature on TikTok. You cannot do anything if the feature doesn’t appear even after joining the Beta program and updating the app. TikTok plans to expand the feature to more users in more countries. So, you just need to wait patiently until you get the feature (Fingers crossed).
How do stories work on TikTok
If updating your TikTok app or joining the Beta program did the trick for you, you might be wondering how stories work on the short video platform.
How to view stories on TikTok:
Stories on TikTok work in a similar way as stories on other platforms work. You can view others’ TikTok stories on the For You section of the Home tab. The stories appear as circular icons in a vertical panel on the left side of the screen.
You can tap on any particular story to view it, after which the viewed story goes to the bottom of the list.
You can also go to a person’s profile to view any stories they have posted in the last twenty-four hours. If the user has uploaded a story, a blue circle will appear around their profile picture. Tap on the photo to view their story. This is similar to how you can view someone’s story on Instagram.
How to post a story on TikTok
Posting a Story on TikTok is almost the same as posting a regular video. Follow these steps to upload a story on TikTok:
Step 1: Open the TikTok app and log in to your account.
Step 2: Tap on the Post button (the big plus icon) at the center of the screen. The camera will turn on, and you will enter recording mode.
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