TikTok adds voice comments, polls, and photo carousels

TikTok’s comment sections are getting an upgrade. The social network announced Thursday that it’s rolling out new features for comment sections, including voice comments, comment polls, photo carousel comments, and Live Photo comments.

With the additions, the app is borrowing features from messaging apps as it looks to deepen engagement on its platform. By bundling voice, polls, and photo comments, the company aims to make comment sections places where people linger and interact with each other, rather than simply leave feedback underneath a video. “Sound and music have shaped TikTok from the very beginning, turning songs into trends and audio clips into jokes shared across the app,” TikTok wrote in a blog post. “Now, we’re 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.”

To leave a voice comment, users tap the microphone icon in the comment box and record a message up to a minute long; once posted, anyone can tap to listen. A TikTok spokesperson told TechCrunch that voice comments are subject to the same Community Guidelines as other content on the platform, and that the company uses a combination of human and automated detection tools, including speech-to-text transcription, to identify and remove content that violates its policies. Voice comments are rolling out globally over the next month to users 18 and older.

Creators can now also add a poll when commenting on their own videos — a feature previously available to some but now rolling out globally. TikTok says the polls can be used for things like voting on the next video idea, picking an outfit, or deciding what to cook; creators can choose up to five options and set a time frame, and can follow results directly in the comment section as votes come in.

With photo carousel comments, people can now add up to nine photos in a single comment, up from just one at a time previously. Users can also upload Live Photo comments, which TikTok says allow for “a brief burst of motion” so others can preview a moment before viewing the full image. Live Photo comments are now available globally, while photo carousel comments are rolling out globally over the next month.

Why it matters

The overhaul borrows engagement mechanics straight from messaging apps, betting that richer comment sections — not just the video feed — can keep users on the platform longer.