TikTok is adding three new tools to the comment section: voice comments, comment polls and photo carousel comments. The aim is to give viewers more ways to respond to videos and, in turn, drive more engagement and community activity. Here are the conditions, the rollout timing, and where brand accounts can put them to work.
Viewers can tap a microphone icon in the comment window to record an audio response to a video. The comment appears as an audio file with a translated text version below it. Voice messages can run up to 60 seconds.
"Whether you're laughing at a meme, singing with a creator, or reacting to a sudden plot twist, Voice Comments make it easy to say what you're feeling — no typing required," TikTok said. Voice comments are rolling out globally over the next month to users aged 18 and older.
Polls can now live inside comments. Only the video's creator can add one, and each poll supports up to five response options. TikTok says creators can track results directly in the comment section as votes come in, making it easy to see how the conversation is trending in real time. Comment polls are available to all creators now.
Users can attach up to nine photos to a comment, and the images expand into a scrollable carousel when tapped. Live photos, which capture motion, can also be shared as replies. Photo comments are available globally now; photo carousel comments roll out over the next month.
Of the three, the one a brand controls directly is the comment poll, because only the account that posted the video can create it. Pin a question with five or fewer answers to the top of the comments, such as which colorway to launch, what the next video should cover, or whether followers plan to attend an event, and the comment section becomes a survey tool without sending anyone to an external link.
Photo comments mean user-generated content accumulates under your videos. A prompt such as "show us how you use it" can turn the comment section into a collection point for review photos. The trade-off is moderation: you cannot control which images appear under a brand video, and voice comments carry the same risk. The auto-translated text attached to each voice comment gives keyword filters something to work with, but brands should expect to put more of their own review effort into comment sections as these formats spread. TikTok has been reducing human moderation headcount at the same time, as we covered in TikTok Hits 189 Million EU Users — While Human Moderators Fell 41%. The broader push to deepen creator-fan relationships inside the app is the same thread running through TikTok Launches a Creator Newsletter — the Live Commerce Gap Behind It.
Users aged 18 and older, with a global rollout over the next month. Voice messages can be up to 60 seconds and display alongside a translated text version.
No. Only the creator of the video can add a poll, with up to five response options. Comment polls are available to all creators now.
Up to nine, which expand into a scrollable carousel when tapped. Photo comments are available globally now; carousel comments roll out over the next month.
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