The social network has announced an updated version of its app that lets you offer feedback about its algorithmic feed so you can better customize it.
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Bluesky has launched a new product roadmap for the coming months. The decentralized social network said on Tuesday that it is planning to introduce direct messages, support for videos, improved custom feeds, and new moderation controls.
In a blog post, the company said it is developing a direct messaging (DM) service that will be integrated into the Bluesky app, off the decentralized AT Protocol — the protocol that Bluesky uses — initially, and would later develop an on-protocol DM. Bluesky said that this initial version will facilitate one-on-one chat and have controls for users to limit who can DM them.
The company says it is also working on improving its custom feeds, which lets users curate their feeds. You can use third-party tools to improve what custom feeds can do, but Bluesky says it is now working on features like in-app feed creation, better feed discovery, a new trending feeds view, the ability to submit posts to feeds, curate the submissions and manually moderate them; and a way arrange feeds on the home screen better.
Bluesky said it is also working on anti-harassment tools, though it didn’t detail what these tools might do.
Additionally, the social network is looking into extending support for videos on the platform as well as an “OAuth” login mechanism that would allow users to “Log in with Bluesky” to different services related to the social network. Currently, users need to use a separate password to log-in to third-party apps and remember it.
Twitch is officially rolling out its new TikTok-like discovery feed to all users this week, the company announced on Tuesday. The new feed, which is launching as a tab within the Twitch iOS and Android apps, allows viewers to scroll through bite-sized bits of content to discover new streamers. The official launch follows Twitch’s earlier tests of the feed that started in August 2023.
With this launch, Twitch now joins numerous other popular apps that have launched their own short-form video feeds following TikTok’s rise in popularity, including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Uber Eats and LinkedIn to name a few.
There are two tabs within the feed: a live feed and a clips feed. The “live” feed displays livestreams from both streamers users already follow and streamers that Twitch thinks they would like. The “clips” feed showcases top moments from streamers across Twitch, allowing viewers to discover content from streamers even when they’re not live.
While people typically go to Twitch when they have enough time to watch a livestream, the new clips feed is designed for moments when users only have a few minutes to spare.
To better personalize what you see in the feed, you can click the thumbs up or thumbs down button on a livestream or a clip to signal what type of content you want to see more or less of.
The new feed’s arrival comes as Twitch streamers have long called on the company to introduce new features to help them reach new audiences. Since Twitch isn’t a fully algorithmic platform like TikTok, Twitch streamers haven’t had many ways to attract new viewers outside of promoting themselves on other platforms or teaming up with fellow streamers. With this new discovery feed, small and medium streamers have the potential to reach new audiences.
Twitch says that all livestreams and clips are automatically eligible to appear in the feed if they meet the platform’s content guidelines. While streamers can’t directly upload content to the discovery feed, Twitch encourages them to create and feature clips of their content for a chance to be included in the feed.
Uber Eats is launching a TikTok-like short-form video feed to boost discovery and help restaurants showcase their dishes. Uber Eats’ senior director of Product, Awaneesh Verma, told TechCrunch exclusively in an interview that the new feed is being tested in New York, San Francisco and Toronto. The company plans to launch the feed worldwide in the future.
With this launch, Uber Eats now joins numerous other popular apps that have launched their own short-form video feeds following TikTok’s rise in popularity, including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Netflix to name a few. TechCrunch also recently learned that LinkedIn has started experimenting with its own TikTok-like feed.
The new Uber Eats short-form videos are visible in carousels placed across the app, including the homescreen. Once you click on a video preview, you will enter into a vertical feed of short-form content that you can swipe through. You will only see content from restaurants that are close enough to deliver to you.
Verma says the feed is designed to replicate the experience of being in a restaurant in person and seeing people preparing food and being inspired to try something new. As you swipe through the feed, you may come across a video of an ice cream shop preparing a Nutella milkshake, or a video of an Indian restaurant packing rice separately from curry so it doesn’t get soggy by the time it gets delivered to your house.
“The early data shows people are much more confident trying new dishes and trying things that they otherwise wouldn’t have,” Verma said. “Even little things like being able to see texture, and the details of what a portion size looks like, or what’s in a dish, has been really inspiring for our users.”
Image Credits: Uber Eats
Uber Eats notes that the videos aren’t ads, as the company isn’t charging merchants for the content placements.
Many restaurants run social media accounts on apps like Instagram and TikTok to reach new customers and showcase their food using short-form videos. By allowing merchants to share short-form videos directly in the Uber Eats app, the company is helping restaurants reach customers directly as they decide what to order. As for consumers, many people already use social media to discover new places and dishes to try, so Uber Eats likely hopes that its new feed will encourage users to try to find inspiration directly within its own app.
Some users might not see the launch as a welcome addition to the app, as they may feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of different short-form video feeds in popular apps. While it may make sense to have short-form video feeds in entertainment and social media apps, the introduction of one in a food-delivery app may not be a favorable choice for some.
Verma also shared that in order to further support merchants, the company has revamped its Uber Eats Manager software and added personalized growth recommendations. The software is now capable of encouraging restaurants to grow their business by doing things like running a promotion on a certain dish or adding photos to menu listings.
In addition, the company is going to launch an entirely new app for restaurant managers this summer that is designed to make it easier for restaurants to be more proactive on the go. For instance, the app could alert a restaurant manager that their store is having issues or that they may want to boost sales with new ads.
Uber Eats announced on Monday that it now has more than 1 million merchants around the world on its platform, across 11,000 cities in six continents.
As TikTok continues to face increased pressure in the U.S. and the U.K., the company is signaling its commitment to fostering educational content on its app. The company announced on Tuesday that it’s expanding its dedicated STEM feed across Europe, starting in the U.K. and Ireland, after first launching it in the U.S. last year.
The STEM feed will begin to automatically appear alongside the “For You” and “Following” feeds for users under the age of 18. Users above the age of 18 can enable the STEM feed via the app’s “content preferences” settings. The feed includes English-speaking content with auto-translate subtitles.
TikTok says that since launching the feed in the U.S. last year, 33% of users have the STEM feed enabled and a third of teens go to the STEM feed every week. The app has seen a 24% growth in STEM-related content in the U.S. since the feed launched. Over the past three years, almost 15 million STEM-related videos have been published on the app globally.
The company is expanding its partnerships with Common Sense Networks and Poynter to assess all of the content appearing on the STEM feed. Common Sense Networks will examine the content to ensure it’s appropriate for the STEM feed, while Poynter will assess the reliability of the information. Content that doesn’t pass both of these checkpoints will not be eligible for the STEM feed.
The launch of the STEM feed comes as TikTok has been criticized for showing harmful content to kids and teens, with rights groups alleging that the app uses addictive design practices to keep users engaged for as long as possible.
In February, the European Union said it was investigating whether TikTok has breached the Digital Services Act, which includes rules for keeping users safe online. The commission is investigating whether the app is doing enough to stop minors from finding inappropriate content and determining whether its design choices stimulate addictive behavior.
With today’s announcement, TikTok is seeking to further present itself as an educational hub for the millions of young users on its app as a way to counter criticisms from lawmakers around the world. The company has already used the STEM feed to counter claims that it’s harmful for young users, as TikTok CEO Shou Chew touted the feed while testifying in two separate U.S. congressional hearings, one in March 2023 and one in January 2024.
LinkedIn is testing a new TikTok-like short-form video feed, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday. With this new test, LinkedIn joins numerous other popular apps that have launched their own short-form video feeds following TikTok’s rise in popularity, including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Netflix.
The feed was first spotted by Austin Null, a strategy director at an influencer agency called McKinney. Null posted a short demo on LinkedIn showcasing the new feed, which lives in the app’s navigation bar in a new “Video” tab. Once you tap on the new Video button, you will enter into a vertical feed of short videos that you can swipe through. You can like a video, leave a comment or share it with others. The company didn’t share details about how the feed determines which videos to show users.
The new addition is similar to the vertical short-form video feeds you see in other apps, but while those feeds include a variety of content ranging from comedy to cooking videos, LinkedIn’s feed is obviously focused on careers and professionalism. While you have always been able to post videos on LinkedIn, the new dedicated feed is designed to boost engagement and discovery on the platform by presenting bite-sized videos that people can quickly scroll through.
Microsoft-owned LinkedIn says videos are becoming one of its users’ desired formats for learning from professionals and experts, which is why it’s testing a new way for users to discover relevant videos. The feature is in early testing, so most people won’t have access to it just yet.
The launch of the new feature comes as many creators have amassed notable followings on TikTok for sharing advice and experiences regarding topics like career growth, job searches and professional development. LinkedIn’s new feed would give creators a new place to share their video content and potentially reach more viewers. It’s possible that LinkedIn may also monetize the feed at some point in the future to entice creators to post their video content on the app.
Although the feature presents new opportunities for creators, some users might not see the new feed as a welcome addition to the app, as they may feel inundated by the many different short-form videos feeds on popular apps.
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