TikTok test mode that removes many interface elements when watching content

Video app TikTok is testing a clear mode with a limited number of users. This mode removes the necessary elements from the interface, so that much less distracting elements are visible while watching content on the platform.

Industry analyst Matt Navarra posted on Twitter some screenshots showing the mode. The mode should distract users less, in the form of removing all kinds of distracting elements such as captions, buttons, usernames and audio information. The users who are part of the test can activate the mode within the app by pressing the screen of their smartphone and activating the clear mode in the menu there.

The feature should not only improve the viewing experience, but also make sharing screenshots of video clips easier. On the platforms, users more often indicate that they want a new upload of a video, without buttons or other disturbing elements being visible in the image. In that case it is more interesting to share a screenshot and, for example, a crop of it, because then no unwanted elements for the content are visible.

TikTok has confirmed to TechCrunch that it is testing a “distraction-free scrolling experience.” This is a new feature that is currently still available to a limited group of users. TikTok did not want to explain further. Partly because of this, it is still unknown whether the video app plans to make the mode more widely available and if so, when that will happen.