Social platforms Bluesky and X are rolling out new features timed to take advantage over confusion as to the fate of TikTok. Positioning their video feeds with dedicated tabs and optimization for vertical display are among the updates. Meanwhile, Instagram has debuted an editing feature that rivals CapCut, the popular program owned by TikTok parent ByteDance. Bluesky’s newly customizable video feeds let users swipe up or down and also allow curation using hashtags like #BookSky, a challenge to BookTok. A timeline of trending videos prominently placed under its search tab is another Bluesky addition.

“Bluesky says that the ability to swipe through a video-only timeline is specific to custom feeds,” notes The Verge, adding that “‘like any other feed, you can choose to pin these or not,’ the company said in its post, ‘Bluesky is yours to customize.’”

Likewise, X unveiled a new “Video Tab” for U.S. users. Accessible through a circular play button that appears in the app’s lower navigation bar, it invites its audience to “explore a personalized feed of recommended videos reflecting the real-time nature of X across sports, entertainment, news and more,” according to X’s announcement.

Both X and Bluesky went public with the changes “Sunday evening after TikTok went dark briefly late Saturday,” writes SiliconANGLE, explaining that ByteDance has since restored service, “although the fate of TikTok in the U.S. is still uncertain.”

While the new dedicated vertical video feeds from X Corp. and Bluesky appear to directly emulate TikTok, they are also similar to vertical video feeds already offered through Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, SiliconANGLE points out.

Meta’s new app, called Edits, appeared Sunday after “CapCut was removed from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store as part of the TikTok ban,” according to TechCrunch.

“Today we’re announcing a new app called ‘Edits,’ for those of you who are passionate about making videos on your phone,” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri wrote on Threads. “There’s a lot going on right now, but no matter what happens, it’s our job to provide the best possible tools for creators.”

Edits’ features include “a dedicated tab for inspiration, a tab for keeping track of ideas, and a high-quality camera,” TechCrunch reports, adding that “it will have the ability to share draft versions of creations with friends or collaborators.”

Related:
CapCut, a Video-Editing App from ByteDance, Returns for U.S. Users, The New York Times, 1/21/25