TikTok is reportedly beginning a test of a podcast feature inside its short-form video app.
A report from Business Insider claims the social media app is testing a new “podcasts” feature that will allow users to continue listening to a video’s audio even while the app is not displayed on a user’s phone screen.
The feature was brought to the forefront after a user noticed she was part of a beta test that asked if she was interested in continuing to listen to the video she was watching as a podcast. After clicking “yes”, the video continued as a thumbnail accompanied by a message that read “audio will continue playing even after switching app to background”.
TikTok has yet to comment on the newly-developed feature.
It becomes the latest social media app to attempt a run at a podcasting space. Previously, both Facebook and Twitter had created areas inside their apps for podcasts, with limited results.
Facebook closed its podcast efforts in May of last year after a long effort to integrate audio into its app. Twitter has seen more success with its Twitter Spaces area, but has continually struggled to gain a foothold with users in the podcast arena on its mobile app.
The feature from TikTok comes as the social media platform’s future in the United States remains uncertain. Several lawmakers have pushed to remove the app as questions abound about its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. Several states — as well as branches of the United States military — have placed restrictions on allowing the app on mobile devices.
