TikTok Starts Testing 3 Minutes Long Videos

TikTok is reportedly testing a new 3-minute limit for its videos. The current limit is 60 seconds and this very short format is one of the things that made the app extremely addicting.

TikTok is one of the apps that are causing a stir right now. And this success is largely attributed to the short video format that has been popularized by the platform. Although this is still a recent app, TikTok is already in the Top 10 most downloaded apps for the past 10 years.

This format is so addicting that other services have decided to take inspiration from it. Instagram and YouTube have already developed an equivalent of TikTok videos. And even Netflix has decided to copy this format in order to allow users to discover humorous extracts from the films and series in its catalog.

TikTok wants to push its limits

But as more and more companies are taking inspiration from TikTok, the latter now seems to be interested in longer videos. Currently, videos on TikTok are no longer than 60 seconds.

Yet, as Matt Navara, a social media consultant and former reporter for The Next Web, spotted, TikTok is testing longer videos that can be up to 3 minutes long. His post includes a screenshot of a notification letting the user know they have a new feature that allows these longer videos to be uploaded.

The notification says this is early access, however, suggesting that at this time, the ability to upload 3-minute videos is still limited to a few users. And it is possible that at the moment, this is only a test.

Is the new 3-minute limit a good idea?

In any case, on Twitter, many users expressed their astonishment when they discovered this novelty from TikTok. Indeed, the 60-second limit is part of this platform’s DNA, just as the 140-character limit set Twitter apart from other social networks.

Of course, the fact that TikTok will allow users to post longer videos isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They could use those three minutes to test new content ideas. However, these 3 minute videos could also affect the mechanics of TikTok which makes the social network addicting.