TikTok is making waves in the social media landscape by testing the capability for users to upload 30-minute videos, signaling a notable departure from its traditional short-form content. Social media consultant Matt Navarra discovered this feature in the iOS beta version of the app in the U.K., and reports suggest that it might also be under testing in the Android beta version.
While TikTok gained popularity initially for its short-form videos, the platform has gradually embraced longer content formats. If the extended upload limit becomes widespread, TikTok will have evolved significantly from its original 15-second video limit. After expanding from 15 seconds to a minute, then to three minutes, and later to 10 minutes, TikTok recently experimented with a 15-minute video upload limit.
This move positions TikTok in direct competition with YouTube, indicating a desire to attract creators known for longer-form content typically found on YouTube. The distinction between short-form content on TikTok and long-form content on YouTube has blurred in recent years, with both platforms embracing elements of each other’s strengths.
The expanded time limit offers creators more flexibility for content like cooking recipes, beauty tutorials, educational material, and comedy sketches. Notably, the 30-minute limit could facilitate the upload of full episodes of TV shows, eliminating the need to break them into multiple parts, as demonstrated by Peacock’s earlier experiment on TikTok.
While some users may resist longer videos on TikTok, given its reputation for quick, short content, the platform has been preparing for this shift by testing a horizontal full-screen mode. Additionally, TikTok introduced a feature last year that allows users to fast-forward videos by holding down the right side, acknowledging diverse user preferences.
As with any test feature, it remains uncertain when or if TikTok plans to roll out the 30-minute video upload option widely to all users.
