As TikTok continues to build out its search experience, the social network is now surfacing reviews for select places right within the comments tab of a video. The new feature, which appears to be a test, eliminates the need to conduct a new search or open Google when you come across a place on TikTok and want to learn more about it.
TikTok users who have access to this new feature will see a new “Reviews” tab on the right after they click to view the video’s comments.
For instance, if you come across a video of Central Park in New York City where the creator has tagged the location, you’ll be able to see users’ star ratings for the location, their written reviews, and their uploaded photos, if any.
You can also click on a reviewer’s username to visit their TikTok profile from this section, which differentiates this feature from an earlier Google Maps integration, which was designated with a Google Maps icon.
Although the new feature may be a welcome addition for some, others may think it crowds the user experience when viewing content.
The move is the latest way that TikTok is looking to expand its search ambitions to take on Google.
In 2022, a Google executive suggested that TikTok was eating into its core services, Search and Maps, particularly for younger users. Fast-forward to today, and TikTok has challenged Google’s dominance in several areas.
In addition to becoming a top stop for place searches among Gen Z, TikTok added image search capabilities last year that allow users to take or upload a photo to find similar products in TikTok Shop.
In September 2024, TikTok also began allowing advertisers to target its search results page through “TikTok Search Ads Campaigns,” a keyword-based search solution designed to display brands’ ads in search results.
It’s unclear if TikTok plans to roll out its reviews tab more broadly, as the company declined to provide comment ahead of publication. However, in TechCrunch’s tests, we found that only some videos with a tagged location would showcase the feature.
