What is TikTok’s Whee app?
TikTok's Whee app launched in June 2024. What is it, what features does it include, and should brands and professional content creators use it?
TikTok’s Whee app came out of nowhere in 2024. But what is it, how does it work, and is it good for brands, businesses, and professional content creators? Let’s cover all of that today.
Here’s the lowdown:
- What is the Whee app?
- Can you post videos on Whee?
- When was the Whee app released?
- Where is the Whee app available?
- Is Whee free?
- How does the Whee app work?
- Is the Whee app popular?
- Can you monetize Whee content?
- Is the Whee app good for brands and businesses?
What is the Whee app?
Whee is a private photo-sharing app published by TikTok. It gives users the chance to share, like, and comment on close friends’ photos. Similar to BeReal, the app pushes the idea of being genuine and spontaneous. Here’s the official strapline:
“Whee is a new social app created to keep you connected with your close friends through life’s spontaneous moments. Capture and share real-life photos that only your friends can see, allowing you to be your most authentic self. Whee is the best place for close friends to share life moments.”
Whereas BeReal is strictly no-filter, Whee offers a bunch of filters — this is a TikTok-related app, after all. That aside, Whee is fairly low-key and private. Think of it like TikTok Notes, but more stripped-back and local.
Can you post videos on Whee?
Whee is currently a photo-only app. Users are unable to post video content in the style of Stories or Reels, nor can they send voice notes.
When was the Whee app released?
TikTok soft-launched the Whee app on June 18, 2024.
Where is the Whee app available?
The Whee app is available to download on both Android and iOS. It’s currently live in more than 70 countries, but is still unavailable in markets like the USA, the UK, and mainland Europe.
Is Whee free?
At the time of writing, the Whee app is 100% free to download and use. Like other social media platforms, it may introduce paid-for tiers at some point. But, for now, you don’t have to shell out a cent for Whee.
How does the Whee app work?
As we covered earlier, the Whee app is pretty limited in terms of features and functionality. It has just three tabs: Camera, Feed, and Messages.
Let’s look at what Whee does and how you can use it.
Download the Whee App from the App Store or Google Play
If you search for the Whee app and it doesn’t show up, then it isn’t available in your country yet. It’s worth noting that there’s an e-scooter app also called Whee, but we’re guessing that’s not what you’re looking for. If it is, happy scooting.
You’ll need to rely on TikTok
You can’t create a standalone Whee account, and will need to log in with your TikTok credentials. However, you can’t import your following or follower lists from TikTok.
Add friends
You can search for friends manually and send requests. Whee will also suggest potential matches, based on how you interact with other accounts on TikTok.
Share photos and add filters
Choose between snapping a live photo or uploading stills from your device’s photo gallery, then browse the available filters. You can share photos with all of your contacts via the main feed, or to a select number as a private message.
Like and comment
Whee supports likes and comments, but doesn’t offer public sharing. This is in keeping with the close-knit, community-style vibe the app is going for. Like other buzzy and new social media apps, Whee’s notification bell will ring whenever you receive a like, comment, or message, depending on how you’ve configured your notification settings.
Is the Whee app popular?
Despite bearing the TikTok name, Whee has yet to take off. The app hasn’t leveraged Apple Search Ads, nor has it made any other big-budget advertising splash. As a result, uptake has mainly been by word of mouth — a week after launch, Whee had gathered around 13,000 global downloads through iOS and roughly 10,000 via Android.
Given the lack of advertising and the above numbers, the Whee app didn’t crack the Google Play or App Store charts. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is no stranger to releasing new apps — they released Lemon8 last year, and have enjoyed huge success with CapCut. Pretty much all of ByteDance’s successful apps have been slow burns, so let’s check in on Whee later down the line to see how it’s doing.
Can you monetize Whee content?
The Whee app doesn’t currently support monetization or advertising. It’s free to use and doesn’t appear to be funded by ads.
Is the Whee app good for brands and businesses?
As we just touched on, there is no Whee monetization or advertising, nor does the app operate with a recommendations system similar to the TikTok algorithm. For this reason, it’s not a workable place for brands and businesses to spend their time and money. It could always change in the future, but for now, the Whee app is a destination for casual photo-sharers rather than established content creators and brands.
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