Have you visited your profile on TikTok, and noticed a blue plus sign next to your profile picture?
This addition is relatively new, and wasn’t always around before.
So, you may be wondering – what is the blue plus sign on TikTok, and why is it there?
In this article, I’ll cover everything that you need to know about it!
What Is The Blue Plus Sign Next To Your Profile Picture On TikTok?
The blue plus sign on your TikTok profile is simply a button to quickly add a post to your TikTok story.
TikTok expanded the rollout of stories in May 2022, and now more people than ever have access to them.
The quickest way to add a post to your story – either by filming it directly within the app or by uploading a post, is to head on over to your profile and click on the blue plus icon.
This will immediately open up the filming window, or allow you to select files from your camera roll to upload.
Stories work similarly to how they do on other social media platforms, like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. The posts are only available for 24 hours, and after that they disappear forever.
So, be sure to save a backup if you want to keep them!
Why Did TikTok Add The Blue Plus Sign?
Really, it all came down to usability and marketing.
TikTok stories did not have a major announcement, even within the app. A large percentage of users are still unaware that they even exist.
By adding the blue plus sign on everyone’s TikTok profile, it accomplished a couple of things.
First, it sparked curiosity, which may have led you to this article yourself! After exploring a bit, it lets people know that stories are here, and that they can be easily uploaded.
Secondly, by putting the plus sign on your profile – a place you likely visit often, it’s quick to actually create a story when you’re ready to make one.
So, this was a pretty smart move by TikTok!
How Do You Get The Blue Plus Sign On Your TikTok Profile?
Now that we’ve talked a lot about the blue plus sign, you may be wondering – how does somebody get it?
As long as you are using a recent version of TikTok and your account is able to post Stories, it should already be present.
All you have to do is visit your TikTok profile, and you should see it.
Note however that you will only be able to see the blue plus sign on your own profile, and you must be signed in in order for it to appear.
If you visit another person’s TikTok profile, the blue plus sign won’t be there – it will only show up when they view their profile themselves.
Note: This Is Different From The Verification Badge!
It’s important to know that when people refer to the ‘blue badge’ on someone’s profile, they usually aren’t talking about the blue plus sign.
Instead, they’re talking about a blue checkmark, which TikTok uses to show that an account has been verified.
Verification status is reserved for influential figures, though it’s possible to get verified on TikTok without a large following.
While everybody will have a blue plus mark on their profile, not everybody will have verification.
So, it’s important to distinguish between these two when talking about blue marks on your TikTok profile!
Conclusion
The blue plus sign is placed on everybody’s TikTok profile, and is simply a quick and easy way to add a clip to your TikTok Story.
Because Stories can be such a powerful tool to build your audience on TikTok, it’s worth taking the time to create them!
For further reading, I recommend checking this post out on Instagram Story ideas. Although it’s tailored for Instagram, many of the same ideas work on TikTok as well.
Finally, if you have any other questions about TikTok or TikTok Stories, please ask them using the comment form below.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister