10-Minute-Long TikTok Videos Are Here, And Twitter Has Some Questions

There’s a new TikTok update that might totally change your viewing experience. The company announced an expanded 10-minute video limit on Feb. 28, and it’s a major shift from the previous three-minute limit. With a move that will potentially make plenty of TikTok videos more than three times longer than they already are, people had thoughts. These tweets about TikTok’s new 10-minute time limit raise some questions about the extra FYP time they didn’t ask for.

Social media consultant and analyst Matt Navarra (@mattnavara) unveiled TikTok’s new 10-minute video limit in a tweet on Monday, Feb. 28 — and of course, it got the internet totally buzzing. In the tweet, Navara shared a pic of a screenshot from the TikTok app showing an Account update that notifies users that they can “Upload longer videos” up to 10 minutes long from their devices. The update also advises users to make sure they’re using “the latest version of TikTok before trying out the feature” on the TikTok app or tiktok.com.

In an email to Elite Daily, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed the move, sharing, “We're excited to start rolling out the ability to upload videos that are up to 10 minutes, which we hope would unleash even more creative possibilities for our creators around the world.” Per the spokesperson, this comes on the heels of an increased 3-minute time limit in July 2021, and is a result of the company always looking for ways to “enrich the TikTok experience.”

The 10-minute long update is certainly a major shift from TikTok’s initial time limit for videos. You may recall the app’s OG 15-second time limit when TikTok debuted in September 2016, which was only enough time for a super short clip. The app eventually expanded to 60 seconds in length and then to 3 minutes. Of course, with the 10-minute time limit expansion on Feb. 28, there’s a possibility the videos you come across will be more similar to something you’d see on YouTube.

Most of the people tweeting about the prospect of encountering 10-minute-long videos were not too thrilled — and they were wondering who asked for this anyway?

A question was also posed about if the app built on short-form videos was straying too far from its origins.

The idea of a 10-minute long video on TikTok really sent something of a shockwave among users.

But, really, is this YouTube now?

Aside from people seemingly just not wanting to spend that kind of time watching individual TikToks, there were also questions raised about if this might make it easier to spread misinformation:

Regarding concerns about misinformation on the app, a TikTok spokesperson said in an email to Elite Daily, “We strive to promote an authentic and enjoyable experience for viewers by removing disinformation while also promoting digital literacy education for our community.”

The spokesperson also pointed to the steps TikTok takes to remove misinformation, which, per a February 2021 TikTok newsroom post by Gina Hernandez, Product Manager, Trust & Safety, includes the use of fact checkers at PolitiFact, Lead Stories, and SciVerify. According to Hernandez, TikTok removes any videos confirmed to contain false content.

When the company can’t verify a TikTok as completely inaccurate, those videos are not sent to the FYP, and viewers are informed that the video has unsubstantiated content. “If a viewer attempts to share the flagged video, they’ll see a prompt reminding them that the video has been flagged as unverified content,” Hernandez shared in the post at the time.

Putting aside potential serious consequences, the overall reaction to the move seems to be one that questions why the social media app is straying from its short-form roots. Again, the company said the decision to allow videos up to 10 minutes long was meant to “unleash even more creative possibilities,” but from the looks of the responses, it’s not clear who is excited to watch those longer videos on the app. Is TikTok the next YouTube? I guess you’ll have to wait and see.