TikTok is experimenting with a new Q&A feature that will allow users to respond to fan questions through text or video. Here’s how it works.
The feature, which was first spotted by social media consultant and industry commentator Matt Navarra on Twitter, is now open to testing for select creators who have opted in for Q&A.
New! TikTok’s got a Q&A feature!
Creators can add Q&A button to profile allowing followers to leave questions which they can answer via video replies or in a livestream
h/t @Sphinx pic.twitter.com/aMHt4WGhyC
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) January 19, 2021
According to renders posted by Navarra, fans can use Q&A to ask questions via a creator’s profile page or by tapping the speech bubble with a question mark in the comments to a specific video.
The second image also hints at a feature that allows fans to ‘like’ other users’ questions, letting creators know which questions are the most pressing to their viewers. This may be why the app warns that all Q&A content will be public in the first image.
Creators can then choose to respond to the questions by text, video or livestream with TikTok LIVE.
TikTok has confirmed with TechCrunch that the new Q&A feature is currently in testing. At the moment, Q&A is only available to select with Creator accounts and more than 10,000 followers who have opted in to the feature in the app’s settings. Participants include a number of safe-listed creators from TikTok’s Creative Learning Fund, designed to coax teachers into joining the platform.
According to TechCrunch, the new feature was created in response to the many creators already using questions and answers to engage with their viewers. Q&A will likely make it easier for creators to see all of those questions in one place and to respond to them quickly.
Q&A isn’t the only new update to arrive for TikTok users in the last few months. TikTok recently collaborated with Samsung to launch an exclusive version of the app for Samsung’s Smart TVs. You can read more about the new app in our interview with Samsung’s Head of TV for Europe Nathan Sheffield.
Alternatively, if you’ve found yourself getting tired of the app, you can visit our guide for advice on how to delete TikTok.
How to ask questions with TikTok’s new Q&A feature
Unfortunately, Q&A is only available to select creators right now. Here’s how to use Q&A if you spot it on a creator’s account.
To ask a creator a question simply visit their profile and tap on the Q&A link to submit your query. If you think of something you’d like to ask while watching one of their videos, you can also tap on the Q&A icon in the comment section to enter your question there.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
