TikTok is testing a new feature that looks a lot like Instagram Channels
It's a one-way messaging tool that lets creators and brands share updates directly with followers through TikTok’s inbox.
At this point, if you’ve seen one new social media feature, you’ve kind of seen them all. Instagram copied Snapchat with Stories. Then TikTok came along and forced everyone—Facebook, YouTube, even LinkedIn—to start pushing short-form videos. Now, the apps are circling each other like mirror twins, launching similar features just with different names.
The latest example is TikTok's “Bulletin Boards,” which is pretty much like Instagram’s Broadcast Channels. Because who needs originality when you can just remix your competitors?
But don’t get it twisted, Bulletin Boards might actually be a smart move as they're basically a one-way messaging tool that lets creators and brands share updates directly with followers through TikTok’s inbox.
Think text posts, behind-the-scenes photos, video drops, and more. Fans can react with emojis, but they can’t reply, making it less of a conversation and more of a curated feed. You can post up to 20 bulletins per day, each capped at 1,000 characters.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is.
Instagram’s Broadcast Channels, launched in 2023, already boasts millions of active participants. In fact, Meta said over 100 million users joined a channel just five months after the feature rolled out globally. The popularity of one-to-many messaging is growing fast, especially as users shift away from the public feed into more private, focused spaces like group chats and DMs.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri even admitted that more content gets shared in DMs than in Stories or the main feed. So, TikTok’s move here feels strategic. Bulletins give creators a way to cut through the algorithm and speak directly to their most loyal fans.
The feature is currently being tested by big names like People Magazine, Paris Saint-Germain FC, and the Jonas Brothers. It’s not yet clear when or if it’ll get a full rollout, but TikTok’s been quietly testing it since March in select regions.
Interestingly, all of this comes while TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains a bit wobbly thanks to ongoing regulatory scrutiny. But hey, why not ship new features while you still can?
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
