TikTok users might be able to pay not to see a deluge of ads in the future.
Android Authority has screenshots of TikTok prompting users to select between staying on the free version of the app with ads or upgrading to an ad-free experience. According to the screenshot, some users have the option to pay $4.99 a month to not see ads.
TikTok didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for more details or to questions about the availability of the paid version.
A test of an ad-free tier comes as TikTok is working aggressively to diversify where its money comes from. TikTok Shop, the platform’s in-app marketplace, has been moved to the main navigation bar for some users, and the company has been pushing ads and coupons, hoping to entice them to make a purchase. Already, the platform has struggled to moderate its Shop offerings — a review by Insider found users could purchase items banned by TikTok’s own rules, including homemade foods, sex toys, and vitamins.
Other platforms have exploded ad-free tiers as a way to make money. Elon Musk has said in the past that he wants to offer a “higher priced” subscription tier that shows zero ads on Twitter, now called X. That hasn’t happened yet, but the company says X Premium subscribers get “approximately 50 percent fewer ads” on their timelines. Reports indicate Meta may offer an ad-free version on Facebook and Instagram in the EU in response to regulators’ concerns about data privacy.
