Move along Google, TikTok wants an even bigger part of the search pie. The app is now surfacing Google-like reviews for select places right in the comments of a post.
The new feature eliminates the need to open Google Maps when you come across a TikTok that shows you a place you want to learn more about. Instead of looking for the information elsewhere, you can now find it right there, on TikTok, in the comments.
The feature appears to be a test at this point. Select TikTok users will see a new “Reviews” tab on the right after they click to view the video’s comments.
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“Reviews” will only appear on videos in which a location has been tagged.
For example, if a user posts a video of Central Park in New York City and tags the location, you may be able to see users’ star ratings for the location, written reviews they may have left as well as their uploaded photos. You will also be able to click on a reviewer’s username to visit their profile and learn more about them.
This move is likely part of TikTok’s overall ambition to expand its search functions over Google. Back in 2022, a Google exec had suggested that TikTok was already becoming a bigger search platform than Google for younger users.
Last year TikTok added image search, a capability allowing users to take or upload a photo to find similar products in the TikTok shop. In 2024, the company also introduced “TikTok Search Ads Campaigns,” a keyword-based search solution designed to display brands’ ads in search results.