Some TikTok customers have started noticing a “Clear Mode” option, which lets them watch a video with out the UI overlay that usually shows things like the preferred and remark buttons and other info about the video. TikTok showed to TechCrunch that it’s presently testing the feature, but it’s unclear how many humans have get entry to to it.
Those that are in the test group (which incorporates at the least two Verge staffers) can access clear mode by pressing and keeping on a video, then tapping the Clear Mode button on the menu that pops up. The equal method can be used to go out clear mode, and there’s also a button in the backside proper corner that will return you to the usual UI.
If you activate Clear Mode, you’ll have the ability to watch a TikTok with out all the window chrome, but if you scroll to the following video, the UI comes back, and you’ll have to reenable clear mode in case you need to get the true full-screen video experience. That’s not how I’d expect it to work, but it would make some feel for the organization to build the feature this way; it makes sure that you’ll as a minimum have the chance to see who made the video and what sound it’s using.
TikTok didn’t right now reply to The Verge’s request for comment on whether or not that conduct is intentional.
I was capable of use Clear Mode across TikTok — it was to be had when I was looking at the For You page, in addition to on people’s profiles and even in videos that had been DM’d to me. It didn’t show up for ads, and apparently enough, it wasn’t to be had when I was screen recording. In theory, that’ll help prevent people from the use of Clear Mode to steal content and pass it off as their own.
I don’t need to oversell this change, but to me, it makes the app feel useable. I’ve usually hated how the UI, which generally contains info I don’t care about, covers up a great percent of the video that I’m looking to watch. Clear Mode solves that issue. (Does the fact that I prefer it mean that Clear Mode is essentially old person mode? Perhaps.)
The reality that TikTok is including this feels like stronger proof that the company is focusing more on longer videos — within the past year, the most time limit for TikToks has expanded from one minute to 10 mins. While the UI being in the manner for a 30-second video might only be a bit bothersome, I don’t think many people need to look at some thing for 10 minutes while the main content is covered up by buttons and continuously moving text and icons.
Designing the mode to focus on longer-form content might also give an explanation for why you have to reenable it every time — if that’s an intentional choice. While it’s hard to justify activating the long-press menu and tapping the button to observe some thing that’s much less than a minute long, it makes more sense for some thing that you’re settling down to watch.
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