TikTok is currently testing a new function called Nearby (Next) whose distinctive sign is to prioritize content from creators near the user’s location.

Nearby would be a third tab in the feed that TikTok offers next to For You and Following

Regardless of where the user is, Nearby will give priority to the content of those users who have published content from nearby locationsso that when the user moves to another city or another country, the local content will appear in this new section.

Since there are currently only two feeds in TikTok it seems reasonable to think that Nearby (Next) would be added as a third possibility in which to segment the contents.

-For you: Recommendations selected based on the TikTok algorithm.

-Following: Only content published by those other users who are followed.

-Nearby: Content published by creators located in the geographical proximity of where the user is at that moment.

Recently, other social networks such as Instagram or Snapchat have included functions that take into account the geographical location of the publication in the form of maps or search engines, but TikTok could go a step further by incorporating this segmentation in the form of a new tab to select the contents displayed.

This function, of course, depends on that content creators properly tag videos uploaded with the geographical area in which they have been recorded (or from where they have been published).

In this sense, TikTok’s strategy with Nearby can be aimed at reinforcing the role of this social network as a substitute for platforms such as Google Maps or TripAdvisor when locating establishments such as shops or restaurants. Specifically, some studies put the percentage of young people looking for a place to eat based on TikTok or Instagram instead of Google or Google Maps at 40%.

TikTok has not specified a date when Nearby will be available, but it has been stated that it will not take long to appear.