TikTok announced today that it’s introducing new caption and translation tools to make its content more accessible for users around the world. The new updates will support an initial batch of languages including English, Portuguese, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish and Turkish.
Firstly, the company is launching auto-generated captions for users. Viewers, in addition to creators, now have the option to turn on closed captions for videos. TikTok is also introducing translations for captions and video descriptions, which will give users the option to enjoy videos beyond the original language. Lastly, the company is launching translation for text stickers. TikTok says it’s at the early stages of rolling out these tools, which are available on select videos at this time.
“These easy translation solutions help overcome language barriers and bring people closer together over shared entertainment,” TikTok said in a blog post. “Through these efforts, global content will become more accessible regardless of the language(s) you speak and where you are in the world.”
The launch of the new tools comes as TikTok rolled out auto captions last year in order to give creators the ability to generate subtitles to make their content more accessible for global viewers. The new features announced today will join several other accessibility features TikTok has launched, such as creator warnings when they produce videos that could trigger photosensitive epilepsy and a photosensitivity feature that allows users to skip photosensitive content. The app also offers a text-to-speech feature and a feature to replace animated thumbnails with static images.
TikTok says it will continue to invest in product updates that make its diverse community feel included. The company also notes that community feedback will be an important part of its ongoing product innovation. TikTok plans to expand the availability of the new features in the coming months.
