TikTok Notes Is Shutting Down: ByteDance to Focus on Instagram-Like Lemon8 App

Like the different social media companies that are on the heels of TikTok to deliver the same experience, ByteDance has also created an Instagram-like app called TikTok Notes which launched last year.

However, this is a short-lived platform as the company recently announced that it is shutting down after its testing phase and is making way for a similar app from ByteDance called Lemon8.

The main feature of TikTok Notes is to deliver a photo-sharing app version of TikTok to the global audience, focusing on a new platform that takes them away from the fast-paced video-sharing experience.

TikTok Notes Is Shutting Down: No Longer Available by May

Users who are part of the testing program of TikTok Notes have shared a notice that was sent to them by the company that the app will no longer be available by May 8. Here, the company said that the TikTok Notes app is being discontinued despite making it available in multiple countries, including Canada, Australia, and Vietnam.

According to the TikTok Notes' team, this was not an easy decision for them, and they did not take this development lightly. While TikTok allows a "Photo Mode" feature on its platform, TikTok Notes was meant to be dedicated to images only.

Despite the notice that the team shared, ByteDance did not provide an explanation as to why TikTok Notes was shut down, but according to TechCrunch, it may be because they did not achieve their expected adoption rate on the platform.

The app was still overshadowed by TikTok as the platform features different experiences for users, including vertical video, a dedicated shopping tab, direct messages, photo mode, and more.

ByteDance: Try Lemon8

Alongside the announcement, ByteDance is pushing TikTok Notes users to try out the similar app that they also developed, Lemon8. This platform launched first in Japan back in 2020 before expanding to other markets in Asia and eventually, the United States.

Lemon8 features an Instagram and Pinterest-like feed that focuses more on showcasing photos on the platform, with users given the chance to share slideshows and photo collections to their feed. Moreover, Lemon8 has similar features to TikTok, including the Following and For You feed.

TikTok Notes and Its Short-Lived Existence

There was a massive buzz when ByteDance launched TikTok Notes last year in different regions to test the platform. Many were surprised that it focused on photo-sharing experiences as TikTok is a video-first platform.

Users with existing TikTok accounts were allowed to access TikTok Notes easily, similar to Instagram's account sharing on Threads, which made it quick and easy for users to try it out.

However, it did not quite grow as much as TikTok or its already-available Lemon8, which garnered 12.5 million daily active users as of December 2024.