TikTok announced Shared Feed, a new feature that brings co-watching to direct messages and converts private conversations into shared recommendations. Rather than passing links back and forth, two people can now receive a daily set of videos chosen to match both of their tastes, all within the same thread.
How the Shared Feed Works inside TikTok Direct Messages
People chatting in a private chat can join a Shared Feed that refreshes daily with 15 videos. Were these selections based in large part on what each person watches, likes, and comments on — effectively two For You pages mashed into one?
All in DMs: React, reply, and tap through to enjoy more from a creator without ever leaving your conversation. Should the feed disappoint, you can always leave. Each Shared Feed is customized for each pair, meaning that two friends who have a K-pop and skin care obsession will see a different mix from siblings who binge comedy sketches and car restorations.
Why TikTok Is Embracing Private Sharing in DMs
Private messaging has become an influential search engine for content across social platforms — what some marketers refer to as “dark social.” Peer-to-peer sharing is already done heavily on TikTok, and by algorithmifying the experience inside DMs it allows the company to hoard more watch time as well as better engagement signals without dividing the app in pieces.
The shift is also in sync with larger patterns of user behavior. A large share of U.S. teens are already on TikTok, according to Pew Research Center data (many report near-constant usage), and use cases naturally spill into group chats and friends’ DMs. For TikTok, surfacing recommendations where people are already talking could cut down friction and keep viewing sessions going longer.
Real-World Use Cases for TikTok’s New Shared Feed
Shared Feed is designed for micro-communities, as small as two. A duo of soccer fans could receive highlight packages, as well as breakdowns of transfer rumors. Roommates plotting weeknight dinners might find the quick-stir recipes and grocery hacks useful. New parents could be served stroller reviews and sleep-training advice. The more that the pair engages, the better the feed should get at finding a happy medium between them.
It also clears a quiet lane for discovery without playing in public. Rather than stitching or duetting, two friends can riff on the same queue of clips, which could be particularly popular for hobbies that people like to keep semi-private — such as job-hunting advice, financial literacy or health-related topics.
Privacy and Safety Considerations for Shared Feed
This personalization is based on the same sorts of engagement signals that shape TikTok’s main feed. That would ensure the Shared Feed reflects the types of videos each person typically watches as well as the creators they engage with. Users can always opt out of a shared feed, modify DM settings, or make more granular tweaks to recommendations through standard app controls like Not Interested.
TikTok’s safety measures extend to DMs, where access is limited for younger teens and can be restricted to friends only. The company has not specified whether additional controls will be introduced specifically for Shared Feed, but existing messaging tools like blocking and reporting remain available and privacy settings have not changed.
What It Means for Creators and Brands on TikTok
Getting chosen for a Shared Feed could drive watch-through rates up, as the clip is pre-vetted to be interesting to two people simultaneously. Creators that pull off quality cross-interest content — sports meets fashion, food meets science or comedy meets current affairs, say — will be assisted by blended recommendations that fold audiences together.
For marketers, this is one more signal that intimate spaces drive outsized influence. Campaigns that engage tandems to co-explore — quizzes or split-screen contests or choose-your-adventure series — may go deeper in DMs than they do in public comments. Like any algorithmic surface, it all comes down to consistency and distinct hooks: the first three seconds still determine whether a video gains the next impression.
How to Try the Shared Feed Feature in TikTok DMs
First, open a direct message with a friend and look for the prompt to create a Shared Feed. Once you hit “yes,” your chat will populate with a 15-recommendation daily batch — refined for both of you. React, respond to, and engage with the clips so that the system learns. If it’s not for you, you can leave the shared feed without also leaving the rest of your DMs or For You Page.
TikTok has always been a solitary world driven by individual taste. Shared Feed is about making that taste social, and allowing two people a joint feed to chat through, skip around, and stumble on together — all without ever leaving that chat.
