TikTok will now have Footnotes to provide context to videos

TikTok has been dominating the vast and worldwide social media industry for years now. From creating a platform for uploading fun short-form videos to influencing creators to join the bandwagon of trends, the interesting and unique content shared on the online site entertains millions every day. 
And now, TikTok has taken a remarkable initiative to introduce a new feature called Footnotes. In a move that could redefine how viewers consume short-form content, this fascinating community fact-checking program can help netizens to understand the context better and also allow a transparent and credible connection among all. 

Although the video-sharing platform is loved by users globally, its prominence in shaping digital culture is often affected by backlash for spreading misinformation. With the launch of Footnotes, TikTok aims to mark a conscious shift toward more responsible content.

According to a report by Dexerto, the Footnotes feature is initially targeted at users based in the United States. As of now, around 80,000 people have been provided with access to offer additional context to videos shared on the app. 

Why did TikTok launch Footnotes?

Ever since ByteDance created TikTok and released it in September 2016, users have come across several new attributes and functions of the app. Over time, it has gained worldwide visibility and become the most downloaded app in the U.S. within two years, in October 2018. Among the many striking features of the app, one of the latest additions is Footnotes, announced in April 2025, as per Dexerto. 

In the transition from a basic lip-syncing app to a world-famous one for creativity, news, education, activism, and more genres, the company witnessed a significant surge in misleading or contextless videos, aiming to seek virality at the earliest. Over the past few years, users have been seeing many wrongly edited videos and content shared without presenting the actual truth, hiding the actual truth. 

TikTok has often come under the radar for such viral posts, particularly with lawmakers and regulations standing against it to address these concerns. The launch of Footnotes might be the ultimate solution to resolve these major obstacles. 

This new feature adds short notes on TikTok videos. The simple yet effective approach is to spread correct information with facts and statistics whenever needed. According to a report by Storyboard18, TikTok aims to

"give the community more context around the content they're seeing." 

TikTok introduces 'Footnotes' .

The tool allows contributors to add helpful notes underneath videos to clarify details, share extra facts, or correct misinformation pic.twitter.com/Y2v4X5NE9R

— tech reels (@tech_reels) July 31, 2025

The outlet cited the digital platform's official statement, noting,

"Sometimes the person who posted the video is trying to mislead. Other times, they may simply lack complete information. Footnotes helps bridge that gap."

Everything we know about Footnotes by TikTok

Not every user is credible to leave clickable overlays or notes on videos shared on TikTok. Users wanting to be contributors must first apply to write footnotes, meet the necessary criteria, and only then be eligible for the new feature, per Dexerto. Some of the most important requirements to note are:

• Users need to be at least 18 
• They should reside in the United States
• Contributors must use TikTok for at least six months
• The platform needs a verified phone number in the U.S. or an email ID to select contributors
• Users who breached basic policy guidelines recently will not be chosen

Following the TikTok Community Guidelines is mandatory for this feature. Its bridging algorithm allows texts to surface over 'public' videos and share awareness about authentic information. An interesting aspect of Footnotes is netizens' ability to provide ratings for these much-talked-about notes. Even if a video is later made private, the written Footnotes data continues to be accessible.

Eligible contributors can add more context to videos for users by adding extra details such as disclaimers, right source links, original intent behind the content, explanatory text, flagging as sensitive, and a lot more.

While creators' videos will feature Footnotes, the texts will not appear on any advertisements surfacing on the platform. Creators adding necessary data on their content will be allowed to move forward to collect their Creator Rewards. While the notes initiative has been rolled out to create transparency, people can easily report other users not abiding by the regulations. 

Presently, TikTok is eyeing to roll out the feature only to a selected group of content categories and eligible users in the United States. However, it will eventually cater to the audience worldwide over time. The platform is taking time to test, find results, and understand the process of featuring informational notes on videos of multiple niches and styles. 

Footnotes are expected to revolutionize user experience. Quite understandably, users will find themselves scrolling a slightly different interface layered with background facts and several sources of data. The program will likely empower creators to share more responsibly, offer a new layer of storytelling, and turn passive watching into active engagement. Additionally, the new approach might shift the algorithm's emphasis on verified and context-rich videos, marking a new wave of trends.

Before Instagram, Instagram and YouTube also experimented with various labels and warnings for misinformation or sensitive content.