TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, is testing a new feature that would allow users to search for information on Google directly from within the app, according to screenshots shared by app researcher Radu Oncescu on Twitter.
The feature is not yet widely available, but it appears to work by displaying a link to Google Search results when a user searches for something in the TikTok app. The link appears to match the text in the search box, and clicking on it opens a new browser window with the Google Search results.
TikTok is also running a disclaimer that it “does not endorse or take responsibility for search results from Google.”
TikTok might be the Google for Gen Z, but it still sees Google as valuable… it is testing a new Google integration in search. https://t.co/WlNReW2Nyb
— Lindsey Gamble (@LindseyGamble_) September 19, 2023
It is unclear why TikTok is testing this feature, but it is possible that the company is looking to improve the quality of search results on its platform. TikTok’s search function has been criticized in the past for being inaccurate and unreliable.
The integration of Google search results could also help TikTok to compete with other social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, which already offer similar features.
