TikTok and its fellow ByteDance apps, may have come back from their ban in the USA (atleast to an extent), but the clones and doppelgangers have already begun to rear their heads. First, we had Instagram announcing their ‘Edits’ app, which is supposed to be a CapCut kind of video editing tool, and now, Bluesky, the newest social media platform has announced ‘Trending Videos’, which is like a timeline for short form videos that users can now upload on the platform.
The platform announced the feature in a post, saying:
“We had to get in on the video action too — Bluesky now has custom feeds for video! Like any other feed, you can choose to pin these [to your home screen] or not. Bluesky is yours to customize.”
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How It Works
To access Trending Videos, users can:
- Tap on “Search” within the app.
- Look for the “Trending Videos (Beta)” section.
- Hit “View more” to browse a series of short videos, many of which appear to be imported from TikTok.
Videos play in a vertical feed reminiscent of TikTok, with a swipe-up gesture revealing new content. Bluesky hasn’t shared details about the algorithm powering video recommendations but suggests restarting the app if the feature doesn’t appear immediately.
A Broader Push for Short-Form Video
Bluesky isn’t the only platform vying for TikTok’s audience amidst its uncertain availability in the US. The announcement also highlighted other developers using Bluesky’s AT Protocol to build TikTok alternatives, including Tik, Skylight, and Bluescreen, which are still in closed testing.
Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) rolled out its own vertical video feature, describing it as an “immersive new home for videos.” Similarly, Instagram recently introduced Edits, a video editing tool positioned as a direct competitor to TikTok’s CapCut.
