Chinese social media giant TikTok is testing a new feature that allows users to search for similar products by taking or uploading a photo within TikTok Shop. This move suggests TikTok’s ambitions to challenge Google’s dominance in search, particularly visual search. And also somewhere ecommerce giant Amazon.
Spotted by user Jonah Manzano, the feature is currently available in the US and Southeast Asia.
Users can access it through a camera icon within the TikTok Shop search bar. The Chinese company also confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s testing the ability for users to take or upload a photo to find similar products in TikTok Shop.
According to a recent survey, TikTok shop has been a huge success since its launch in the US. The company has went past most its rivals, especially in the beauty segment.
How the photo search feature on TikTok will work
Imagine seeing a stylish plate at a restaurant or finding a pricey top online. With this feature, you can simply snap a picture or upload an image to discover similar, potentially more affordable options available for purchase on TikTok Shop.
While searching for specific items using text descriptions was always possible on TikTok Shop, this new feature eliminates that limitation.
This functionality isn’t new. Google Lens and Amazon have offered similar image search capabilities for shopping for years.
The move comes after concerns raised by Google executives in 2022 about TikTok and Instagram’s growing influence on search behavior.
Beyond attracting users to search for products within the app, TikTok likely hopes this feature encourages purchases directly through TikTok Shop.
This isn’t just about Google or Amazon. TikTok’s image search feature also positions it to compete with other shopping-focused image search platforms like Klarna and startups like Cherry.
