Instagram, Bluesky and X, in the race to capture exiled TikTok users. The Strategy: New Video Features

Uncertainty about the future of TikTok and other ByteDance apps in the United States is pushing its main competitors to move quickly. X, Bluesky and Instagram have announced a series of developments that apparently seek to attract exiles from the Chinese platform. These initiatives, as we could imagine, are completely oriented towards the consumption of content in video format.

X now has a video tab. Multimedia content has been present on X for a long time. Although this social network was born with microblogging as its essence, images, videos, live broadcasts and audio spaces are increasingly common. Now there is a new feature: a dedicated tab for video playback. This lives in the bottom bar, next to the home, search, Grok, notifications and messages icons.

By pressing it, users are immersed in an experience similar to that of TikTok. A personalized recommendation algorithm shows one video after another on topics as varied as “entertainment, sports and news.” To move between contents you just have to slide the video up or down. Everything seems to indicate that the video tab will be available only to users in the United States.

Has anyone mentioned a video feed? Bluesky is also betting on a TikTok-style experience. The social network that gained a large number of users when Elon Musk bought Twitter now has personalized feeds for videos. When a user is in one of these feeds, they have the ability to swipe vertically to change content. This is an update that is currently rolling out.

Edits, the Instagram CapCut. The legislation that threatens the continuity of TikTok in the United States not only affects the social network, but also the other ByteDance applications, such as CapCut. Interestingly, Instagram recently announced a video editing app called Edits. Adam Mosseri, the head of the Meta social network, did not hesitate to point out that “a lot was happening” and that they should provide tools to creators.

Instagram edits

It is more of a promise than a reality. Edits promises to provide a wide range of video editing tools, from filters to AI animations, background replacement, audio enhancement, automatic subtitles and much more. Of course, we will have to wait to start using it. It is expected to be available starting March 13, initially for iPhone. It is not difficult to imagine the development team working against the clock.

TikTok is back, although its future is uncertain. The famous Chinese social network became unavailable for a short period of time over the weekend. The return was driven by Donald Trump’s promise to give the social network more time to reach a possible sale agreement. At the same time, he said that the companies that helped restore the service would not suffer any sanctions, a risk of possible fines that has not yet disappeared.

The period of application of the ban has been extended, but the law still exists. The reality is that ByteDance must sell its operations in the United States to continue operating in the country in the long term. China’s Foreign Ministry, which once opposed any type of divestment, is now adopting a more flexible stance and ensuring that the government will not intervene in a possible sale agreement.

Images | X | Instagram | BlueSky

In WorldOfSoftware | Elon Musk wants a hostage exchange: the United States allows TikTok to operate… and China legalizes X