TikTok Becomes More Like WhatsApp with New Feature Rollout
TikTok has updated its comment section with a variety of new features. Users can now send comments using voice, create polls, upload up to nine photos at once, and share Live Photos.
TikTok introduced these updates to increase interaction within the comment section. The platform is beginning to adopt several features previously found in chat applications, ensuring the comment section is no longer just a place for users to leave brief responses under videos.
The most striking feature is Voice Comments. Users simply tap the microphone icon in the comment box and record a voice message with a maximum duration of one minute. Once the comment is published, other users can tap it to listen to the recording.
“Sound and music have shaped TikTok from the beginning, turning songs into trends and audio clips into jokes shared across the app. Now, we are bringing that same energy to the comment section with Voice Comments, a new way to post and listen to audio messages directly under any video,” said a TikTok representative, as quoted by TechCrunch on Tuesday (8/9/2026).
A TikTok spokesperson stated that voice comments will still adhere to the Community Guidelines applicable to other content. TikTok utilises a combination of human moderation and automated systems, including speech-to-text transcription technology, to detect and remove content that violates rules.
The voice comment feature will be rolled out globally over the next month for users aged 18 and above.
TikTok has also expanded its polling feature in comments. Creators can now add polls when commenting on their own videos. Previously, this feature was only available to some users, but it is now becoming available globally.
Creators can use polls to ask viewers to vote on their next video idea, choose an outfit, select food to cook, and much more. Creators can provide up to five answer options and set a time limit for the vote. Results can then be monitored directly through the comment section.
Additionally, TikTok now allows users to include up to nine photos in a single comment through the photo carousel comments feature. Previously, users could only add one photo at a time.
Users can also upload Live Photos as comments. TikTok stated that this format provides a “burst of short motion,” allowing other users to see a quick snippet of a moment before viewing the full image.
Live Photo Comments are already available globally. Meanwhile, the carousel comment feature for up to nine photos will be rolled out globally within the next month.