TikTok is testing a new ‘clear mode’ which could help clear the clutter from your screen. In other words, it’ll disappear the annoying ‘like’, ‘comment’, and ‘share’ buttons on the home page taking up a huge chunk of your display. The feature is designed to help you focus on the content. For now, a few folks are testing the feature out.
The feature was spotted on Twitter by Matt Navara, former editor of The Next Web. The tweet is below and gives us a glimpse of what the button could possibly look like and shows that the feature really is being worked on.
If only we could test it ourselves.
TikTok is testing ‘Clear Mode’ for a distraction-free viewing experience https://t.co/HmEur1qfDa pic.twitter.com/jAIUC6vFse
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) May 26, 2022
Validation from TikTok
Yesterday, TikTok told TechCrunch that a ‘clear mode’ was indeed being worked on. Sadly, no dates were given as to when we can expect the feature to become available more widely.
The ‘clear mode’ will be doing away with the song name, song picture, like, comment, and share buttons. These can be particularly annoying when a video has text under the app UI.
Only those who have enrolled in the test can access the feature. If you’re looking to join the beta programme, you’re out of luck. If you head over to TikTok’s Google Play Store page, you’ll see that the Beta Programme is full up. But don’t be too sad. Once the update officially rolls out in the (hopefully) not too distant future, we’ll have all the time in the world to mess around with ‘clear mode’.
The feature wouldn’t just help avoid distractions. Creators will no longer need to reupload videos with a slightly different crop for followers to screenshot more easily. Once the feature is widely available, users can screenshot without anything blocking the video screen.
The ‘clear mode’ is just one of several new features TikTok is testing. There have been whispers of a ‘watch history’ coming to the app in due course. It’s the small updates that really matter to a fanbase. In this case, fans have been asking for a distraction-free mode for some time. And in TikTok’s case, why not? It’s all about keeping users on the app for as long as possible.
Another possible update coming to the platform is in-app gaming, which a few users have been testing in Vietnam.
Source: Engadget