If you wanted longer TikTok videos, here you go.
On Thursday, the app announced it was extending the video time length from 60 seconds to three minutes. The goal is to pave the way for “richer storytelling and entertainment” when the app is competing against YouTube and Instagram.
To create longer clips on TikTok, users were previously uploading videos labeled part 1, part 2, part 3, etc., in the hopes viewers would jump to the next clip for the rest of the story. But now users don’t need to worry about a strict, 60-second time limit.
“We often hear from creators that they’d love just a little more time to bring their cooking demos, elaborate beauty tutorials, educational lesson plans, and comedic sketches to life with TikTok’s creative tools,” the app explained in a blog post.
TikTok has already been rolling out the three-minute option to select users across the globe, so you may have already encountered longer videos. But in the coming weeks, all users will receive the new function, which will let you film, upload, and edit videos up to three minutes in length. Look for a notification on your account that longer videos are now supported.
That said, the change may also alter the viewing experience on the video-sharing app, which can be bizarrely addictive. A core feature to TikTok is how it can stream a nonstop flow of amusing, short videos, keeping you hooked to see the next clip.
At the same time, the change could put TikTok in closer competition with YouTube, which regularly hosts longer-form videos. Last September, YouTube introduced its own rival to TikTok in the form of YouTube Shorts.
