TikTok Launches Voice Comments, Polls, and New Interactive Features to Boost User Engagement

TikTok is set to enrich its comments section with a range of new features. On Thursday, the social media platform announced the introduction of voice comments, comment polls, photo carousel comments, and Live Photo comments.

These enhancements are part of TikTok’s strategy to integrate elements from messaging applications, aiming to boost user interaction. By facilitating voice messages, polls, and photo comments, the platform intends to turn comment sections into vibrant areas for dialogue rather than just venues for video responses.

“Sound and music have always been integral to TikTok, fueling trends through songs and sharing witty audio snippets across the app,” TikTok mentioned in a blog post. “We’re now channeling that same essence into the comment section with Voice Comments, enabling users to record and listen to audio messages directly under any video.”

To submit a voice comment, users simply need to tap the microphone icon in the comment box and record a message lasting up to one minute. Once posted, anyone can click to hear the voice comment.

A representative from TikTok informed TechCrunch that voice comments will adhere to the same Community Guidelines as all other content on the platform. The company employs a combination of human reviews and automated detection tools, including speech-to-text technology, to identify and eliminate content that violates its policies.

Voice comments are scheduled to be available globally next month for users aged 18 and older.

Additionally, creators are now able to add a poll to the comments on their own videos—a feature that was previously restricted but is now available worldwide.

TikTok emphasizes that polls can be utilized for a variety of purposes, from selecting the next video topic to picking an outfit or deciding what to cook. Creators can provide up to five voting options and set a deadline for the poll. As votes accumulate, creators can observe the results directly in the comments.

With the addition of photo carousel comments, users can now upload up to nine images within a single comment, expanding from the previous limit of one. Furthermore, Live Photo comments can be utilized, offering “a quick burst of motion” for viewers to see before examining the full image.

Live Photo comments are now available worldwide, while photo carousel comments will be gradually introduced over the next month.