Some TikTok users have started noticing a “Delete Mode” option, which allows them to watch a video without the overlay of the UI that typically shows things like the Favorites and Comments buttons and other information about the video. TikTok confirmed to TechCrunch that it is currently testing the feature, but it is unclear how many people have access to it.
Those in the test group (which includes at least two Virgo staff members) can access clear mode by pressing and holding a video and then tapping the Delete Mode button in the menu that appears. The same method can be used to exit delete mode, and there is also a button in the lower right corner that will take you back to the standard UI.
Activating clear mode is a two step process. (Sorry for the recording method, we’ll explain why this should be done in a moment.)
If you turn on clear mode, you can see a TikTok without all the chrome in the window, but if you scroll to the next video, the UI will return and you’ll need to turn on clear mode again if you want to get clear mode. true full screen video experience. That’s not how I would expect it to work, but it would make sense for the company to create the function that way; ensures that you at least get a chance to see who made the video and what sound it makes.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge as to whether this behavior was intentional.
I was able to use clear mode in TikTok; it was available when I looked at the For You page, as well as the profiles of people and even the videos they had sent me by DM. It didn’t appear in ads and, oddly enough, wasn’t available when I was recording the screen. In theory, this will help prevent people from using clear mode to steal content and pass it off as their own.
Delete mode off (left) vs. delete mode enabled (right).
I don’t want to exaggerate this change, but for me, it makes the app feel useful. I’ve always hated how the UI, which mostly contains information I don’t care about, covers a significant percentage of the video I’m trying to watch. Erase mode solves this problem. (Does the fact that you prefer it mean that light mode is essentially the old-fashioned mode? Maybe.)
The fact that TikTok adds this seems like stronger evidence that the company is focusing more on longer videos: over the past year, the maximum time limit for TikToks has been extended from one minute to 10 minutes. While the UI is on the way for a 30 second video it can only be a little annoying, I don’t think many people want to see something for 10 minutes while the main content is covered by buttons and text and icons in constant motion.
Designing the mode to focus on longer formatted content would also explain why you need to re-enable it each time, if it is an intentional choice. While it’s hard to justify activating the long press menu and tapping the button to see something that lasts less than a minute, it makes more sense for something you’re getting ready to see.