Chinese social media giant TikTok is testing a new feature that allows users to search for similar products by taking or uploading a photo within TikTok Shop. This move suggests TikTok's ambitions to challenge Google's dominance in search, particularly visual search. and e-commerce giant Amazon.

User Jonah Manzano discovered that the feature is currently available in the US and Southeast Asia. Users can access it through a camera icon within the TikTok Shop search bar. The Chinese company also confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s testing the ability for users to take or upload a photo to find similar products in TikTok Shop.

According to a recent survey, TikTok shop has been a huge success since its launch in the US. The company has gone past most its rivals, especially in the beauty segment. How photo search works on TikTok

Imagine seeing a stylish plate at a restaurant or finding an expensive top online. With this feature, you can simply take a photo or upload a photo to discover similar, potentially more affordable options in the TikTok

While it was always possible to search for specific items in the TikTok store using text descriptions, this new feature removes that limitation. This feature is not new. Google Lens and Amazon have been offering similar shopping image searches for years.

Before that, Google executives in 2022 expressed concern about the growing influence of TikTok and Instagram on search behavior. In addition to attracting users to search for products in applications, TIK can hope that this feature will be purchased directly through the TIKS SHOP.

It has nothing to do with Google or Amazon. TikTok's image search feature also positions it to compete with other shopping-focused image search platforms like Klarna and startups like Cherry.