TikTok, the social media giant that is now worth $250 billion is testing out a 'stories' feature similar to those started on Snapchat and copied by Instagram, then Facebook. Users will be able to see view content for 24 hours before it disappears.

Rival social media site Twitter shut down its similar 'Fleets' function this week.

According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the Chinese owned platform, whose popularity soared in 2020 during lockdown said: "We're always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience."

"Currently we're experimenting with ways to give creators additional formats to bring their creative ideas to life for the TikTok community,"

It comes after Facebook-owned Whatsapp launched a stories feature last month in which a photo or video cannot be rewatched after being opened once, unless it is saved to a device.