TikTok is rolling out new direct messaging tools designed to make conversations feel more natural and frequent, not just a place to swap videos. Users can now send voice notes and share up to nine photos or videos at once in both one-to-one and group chats.
Voice notes let you record and send up to 60 seconds of audio, a format that’s become a go-to for many, especially Gen Z. The update brings TikTok’s DMs closer to what people already enjoy on other popular messaging platforms, and it starts rolling out over the next few weeks.
Media sharing gets a boost, too. You can snap a new photo or video or choose from your camera roll, then edit before sending. To protect user safety, new message requests can’t include self-taken photos or videos. If someone contacts you for the first time, they can only share content that already exists on TikTok. The app will also remind senders to think about privacy and who they’re sharing with whenever they choose to send photos or videos.
TikTok is layering in additional protections for teens. DMs remain unavailable to users under 16. For those aged 16 to 18, automated systems aim to detect and block images containing nudity—preventing the sender from delivering the content and ensuring the recipient never sees it. Users 18 and older can choose to turn this safety feature on in settings.
The company frames these additions as new ways to express yourself and stay connected in the app—aligning with how people already communicate elsewhere. It’s part of a broader push to strengthen messaging on the platform. Last year, TikTok introduced group chats for up to 32 people, and it recently launched Creator Chat Rooms, giving creators and followers a dedicated space to interact.
What’s new at a glance:
– Voice notes up to 60 seconds long
– Share up to nine photos or videos at once in DMs and group chats
– Capture or upload from camera roll, with editing tools before sending
– Privacy reminders when sending media
– New contacts can’t send self-taken photos or videos in the initial message request; they can only share existing TikTok content
– DMs off for users under 16; enhanced protections for ages 16–18; optional nudity detection setting for adults
– Rollout begins in the coming weeks
As TikTok evolves beyond entertainment, these tools aim to make it a place where conversations happen as naturally as content discovery.
