TikTok is expanding how users can interact in the comments section, introducing four new tools designed to boost engagement on video posts. The update, announced this week, adds voice messages, polls, photo carousels, and live photo replies to the app’s comment options.

Voice and Visual Replies Join the Mix

The most notable addition is voice comments, which let viewers record audio responses up to 60 seconds long. Once posted, the comment displays as an audio clip along with an automatically translated text version underneath. TikTok said the feature gives users a way to react to content without typing, whether they’re reacting to a punchline or singing along with a creator. Voice comments are rolling out globally over the coming month, limited to users 18 and older.

Alongside voice replies, TikTok is introducing photo carousel comments, letting users attach up to nine images to a single comment. Tapping the image expands it into a scrollable carousel. Live photo replies are also being added, allowing users to share short, motion-based images as comments. Standard photo comments are already available worldwide, while the carousel format will roll out over the next several weeks.

Creators Get a New Polling Tool

TikTok is also giving creators a way to directly engage their audience through Comment Polls. Only the original video creator can add a poll, which can include up to five response options. Creators can track results in real time as votes come in, offering a quick pulse check on audience sentiment. This feature is now available to all creators globally.

Together, the updates reflect TikTok’s ongoing push to deepen in-app engagement and give users richer, more expressive ways to respond to content beyond simple text replies.