TikTok is giving its comment section a major makeover, adding voice messages, interactive polls and new ways to share photos under videos.

The social media platform announced the changes Thursday, September 3, introducing four new comment features designed to make conversations under videos more interactive. The update includes Voice Comments, Comment Polls, Photo Carousel Comments and Live Photo Comments.

TikTok says more than 1.7 billion comments are shared on the platform every day, giving the new tools a potentially significant role in how users communicate on the app.

TikTok Users Can Now Leave Voice Comments

The biggest change is the introduction of Voice Comments.

Instead of typing a reaction, eligible users will be able to record an audio message directly in a video’s comment section. Users can tap the microphone icon, record a message of up to 60 seconds, and post it beneath the video.

Other users can then tap the voice comment to listen.

TikTok says Voice Comments will roll out globally over the next month to accounts belonging to users 18 and older.

The feature could make TikTok comments feel more like conversations in a group chat, particularly for users who would rather speak than type.

It also fits naturally with TikTok’s focus on sound. Music, audio clips and spoken reactions have long been central to the platform’s culture.

Creators Can Put Polls Directly in Comments

TikTok is also expanding Comment Polls, allowing creators to ask their audiences questions directly beneath their own videos.

Creators can add a poll while commenting on one of their videos, select up to five choices and determine how long the voting period will remain open.

As viewers vote, creators can follow the results directly in the comment section.

The feature could give creators a quick way to let followers help make decisions.

For example, a creator could ask viewers which outfit to wear, what recipe to make next or which video idea should be produced next.

Unlike Voice Comments and Photo Carousel Comments, Comment Polls are already available globally, according to TikTok.

Photo Comments Are Getting More Flexible

TikTok is also expanding its photo commenting tools.

With Photo Carousel Comments, users will be able to put up to nine photos into a single comment.

Previously, users could share photos in comments, but the new carousel format allows multiple images to be grouped together in one response.

That could be particularly useful when people want to respond to a video with a collection of pictures instead of choosing just one.

Someone responding to a travel video, for example, could share several vacation photos in one comment rather than posting them individually.

Photo Carousel Comments will roll out globally over the next month.

Live Photos Can Now Appear in Comments

TikTok is also bringing Live Photo Comments to the platform.

Users can upload Live Photos directly from their camera rolls. The format gives viewers a brief burst of motion before they view the complete image.

Unlike the new carousel feature, Live Photo Comments are already available globally.

The addition gives TikTok users another way to respond visually without creating a new video.

TikTok Is Turning Comments Into More Than Text

The broader change is about how TikTok wants people to use its comment section.

Comments have traditionally been a place for short reactions, jokes and conversations. TikTok’s new features expand that space into something closer to a multimedia conversation.

Users can now potentially respond with their voice, a poll, multiple photos or a Live Photo, depending on which features are available to their account.

TechCrunch reported that TikTok is effectively borrowing interaction features commonly associated with messaging apps as it attempts to keep people engaged inside its platform.

Voice Comments Will Still Face TikTok’s Moderation Rules

The addition of audio comments also creates a new moderation challenge.

TikTok told TechCrunch that Voice Comments will be subject to the same Community Guidelines that apply to other content on the platform.

The company said it uses both automated systems and human review, including speech-to-text transcription, to identify potentially violating content.

That means voice comments will not operate outside TikTok’s existing content moderation system.

The 18-and-older restriction for Voice Comments also gives the company an additional boundary around the feature as it rolls out.

When Will the New TikTok Features Arrive?

The four features are not all arriving at the same time.

Available globally now:

• Comment Polls
• Live Photo Comments

Rolling out globally over the next month:

• Voice Comments for users 18 and older
• Photo Carousel Comments

TikTok says the rollout will happen gradually, meaning users may not see every feature immediately after the announcement.

A Bigger Role for the Comment Section

TikTok’s latest update could change how users interact with videos without requiring them to create their own posts.

A funny video could now trigger an audio reaction. A creator could ask followers to vote on what happens next. A viewer could respond to a travel video with a nine-photo collection, while another could share a Live Photo.

That makes the comment section increasingly important to the TikTok experience.

With more than 1.7 billion comments posted each day, even small changes to the way people respond could have a substantial effect on the platform’s day-to-day conversations.

For TikTok users, the biggest change may simply be that commenting is no longer limited to typing a few words below a video.