As TikTok's destiny within the US sits in limbo, the ByteDance-owned firm figured now's nearly as good a time as any to spruce up the platform's (beforehand lackluster) desktop expertise. New options embody a repositioned navigation bar, an Discover tab, a floating participant for Chrome and — in a transfer that ought to catch Twitch's consideration — dwell sport streaming in panorama orientation.
Earlier than Thursday's modifications, TikTok's internet app format included a search bar and shortcuts working throughout the highest of the display alongside hyperlinks down the left facet. Now, all of them have been consolidated into the vertical navigation bar to the left. The thought is to scale back distractions for extra immersive viewing because the platform strikes to compete with the likes of YouTube and Twitch.
Talking of Twitch, TikTok now helps full-screen dwell sport streaming in portrait and panorama modes. Earlier than right now, you can solely do the latter utilizing TikTok's Dwell Studio app. If you stream dwell in panorama, desktop customers will see that view by default, whereas cellular customers can rotate their gadgets to look at in widescreen (like everybody did earlier than TikTok got here alongside).
In the meantime, a floating participant that retains TikTok seen above your different home windows is unique to Chrome for desktop.
There's additionally a brand new Collections function (just like YouTube's playlists), the place you possibly can set up your favourite movies in customized classes, making it simpler to return to them later. Cell app options transferring to the desktop embody the For You feed, the place you'll discover algorithmically chosen content material based mostly in your pursuits, and the Discover web page, which exhibits trending hashtags and in style content material.
The modifications to the desktop browser model are actually out there globally.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktoks-revamped-desktop-version-lets-you-livestream-games-in-landscape-view-185638187.html?src=rss
