TikTok is testing a Twitter-like Repost button for sharing videos

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The highly addictive clock app is testing a feature that should save you the trouble of having to DM the most share-worthy clips from your For You page with friends. TikTok has introduced a “Repost” button that works a little like Twitter’s retweet feature — but it doesn’t appear to be available to everyone yet.

Several sites earlier reported on the feature, and social media consultant Matt Navarra tweeted an image of the button on December 19th. TechCrunch today reported a more detailed explanation of how the tool works in practice, including that it seems to be limited to the For You feed from the share menu rather than throughout the TikTok app. (Videos that are shared can similarly be un-shared from this menu as well.)

Additionally, videos shared with the Repost button won’t appear in the sharer’s profile — just on their friends’ for For You feeds. According to TechCrunch, the Repost button will only push the video into the feeds of users who follow each other. The feature is reportedly being tested with a limited number of users, and some of The Verge staff had access to it while others did not.

TikTok did not immediately return a request for comment about the feature or how widely it’s available at this time, but the company told TechCrunch in a statement that it’s “always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience.”

TechCrunch reports that some users are seeing a “Recommend” button in place of the Repost tool. Both prompt users to share why they’re reposting the video — a step, it’s worth noting, you can skip entirely by simply DMing it. Though again, depending on the pool of mutuals you want to share a video with, that could be a bit of an inconvenience. Keep in mind comments on shared videos can be seen, though they’ll disappear if you un-share a video with your mutuals.

As I have exactly five (5) mutual friends on TikTok who receive anywhere between two and 20 TikTok DMs a day from me alone, I imagine they’ll be grateful for the shuffle-in alternative to being pinged a dozen times daily if and when they get it.