TikTok is reportedly testing a new feature called ‘clear mode’. Which is basically just removing all of the interactive distractions from the screen. One might even call it full-screen mode.
With users reporting having the feature already, a report from TechCrunch confirms clear mode is go.
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
As you can see from the screenshots in the tweet above, pressing down on a video will bring up a few options (as per usual). But it will also show clear mode function activate/deactivate. In the second screenshot, clear mode activated and a full-screen TikTok experience is had. One without usernames, captions or audio information.
It also seems that likes, comments and shares are also missing from the screen.
TikTok doesn’t seem to have much to share on the test for now, but we’ve reached out to them and will update this article if we hear back. And considering clear mode is in limited testing, it’s unknown when or if TikTok plans to roll it out more widely. It’s also unclear if anyone in Australia is among the lucky few with a distraction-free TikTok experience.
The platform most known for letting users post short pieces of content is trying to up its game in the live-video market, too. Last week we learned TikTok was taking a huge page from rival Twitch in allowing for viewers to pay to subscribe to streamers they want to support. Like Twitch, users get access to a subscriber-only chat, emotes and badges.
The clear mode feature also follows the news TikTok was testing out a new feature which will let users “dislike” comments they deem “irrelevant or inappropriate.” TikTok said it’s adding the feature to let users “feel more in control over comments”. Unlike dislike or downvoting features on platforms like Reddit, where everyone can see the icon, TikTok said its version will only be visible to the user who cast the dislike.