Since TikTok first introduced the photo swipe feature, it has become a smash hit. Gone are the days where the app was home to only 15-second videos. Alongside three and even 10-minute videos, as well as live streams, photo swiping is yet another way the app is diversifying its content. Users have been quick to incorporate photo swiping into a number of creative uses, from new trends to good old fashioned photo dumps.
It may appear counterintuitive that an app that built its success off of the 15-second video, which many other social media apps have tried to emulate, would adopt different formats. After all, scrolling on photos is an activity most associated with Instagram. However, for better or worse, the longer form video and photo swipe features seem to be here to stay.
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What is the feature being used for?
One trend uses the song The Promise by When In Rome. A series of pictures, usually taken from children’s shows such as Bear in the Big Blue House and the Muppets, are given captions of every step of a daily routine. It’s a clever use of the feature because, once you scroll through the photos, you arrive back at the beginning, and it’s like starting the day over again. It’s a lighthearted trend, but also a great way to open up about mental health struggles, and to share these experiences with others who may be going through something similar.
Another trend with the photo swipe feature is the Teenage Dirtbag trend. Users post photos of their blunder years to the Wheatus song. It’s a fun way to look back at the rock, punk and grunge fashion of the 90s and 2000s and poke a little fun at your adolescent self.
The trend also has a simpler use, which is just its straightforward photo sharing capacity. It’s a great way to bundle together photos of any kind into one place, and you can spend as much time scrolling on them as you want. You can share memories, vacations, memes, or anything else on your camera roll.
How to use photo swipe
If you want to give the photo swipe feature a try for yourself, simply open the app and hit the plus button to start your upload. If you want a quick cut to each picture, you can select the slideshow filter on the effects menu. If you want more adjustments to your slide show, instead use the ‘Switch to Photo Mode’ button at the bottom. This will allow you to adjust the speed and other factors.
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