Long-time TikTok users may think that the social media platform has changed drastically since they first signed up for a TikTok account.
They’re not wrong. The app constantly introduces new features while removing or de-emphasizing others. However, a cosmetic change made in 2023 may have had the biggest impact on users’ day-to-day experience; it’s the reason why many who opened TikTok accounts before 2023 have wondered why the platform looks so different.
In May of that year, a new custom text font called “TikTok Sans” was introduced as the default font on the app. It replaced “Proxima Nova – Semibold,” which was only referred to as “Classic” on TikTok.
Why the change? What’s the difference? Read on.
Meet TikTok Sans
TikTok says it had the custom font developed to improve readability and spacing in the text seen most often by users.
TikTok Sans was designed to be easier to read on phones than Proxima Nova, thanks to increased spacing between letters and line height. It also has larger “openings” in the way that letters are drawn, along with bigger “strokes’ used to form each letter. The platform says the changes increase users’ ability to distinguish between letters when viewed at small sizes.
The new font is also supported for more languages than the old Classic one, in an effort to make the TikTok experience more “inclusive” for users in most parts of the world. Just as importantly, though, the company wanted a distinctive, proprietary font that set TikTok apart from its competitors.
There’s one more important reason for the switch that the platform doesn’t tout. Having a custom font makes it harder for disreputable content creators to “spoof” TikTok’s appearance and make it look like the material they disseminate was originally posted on the app.
There are two versions of TikTok sans. The “text” version is seen in TikTok posts, profiles, and other sections of the app; the “brand” version is available to marketers and allows them to have a slightly different (but compatible) look for their branding and sales efforts.
Most people don’t realize, though, that the platform has always had other fonts available for users to choose from.
The Lineup of TikTok Fonts
The new TikTok sans format is the default used across the app. However, you can opt for many other possibilities when creating a video.
Once you’ve recorded a TikTok video and are in the Editing screen, tapping “Text” on the right-hand menu opens a window that not only lets you enter text that appears on top of your content, but also allows you to choose from several dozen fonts (ranging from Classic and Retro to Handwriting and Luxury) to be used in a caption that matches your post.
Things aren’t quite as easy for commercial TikTok accounts, because fonts other than TikTok sans have to either be royalty-free or licensed for commercial use.
The most common substitute fonts seen in TikTok ads and promotional material are Montserrat (very similar to the Classic font), Typewriter, Handwriting, Neon, TikTok Sans Serif, and Georgia, and royalty-free versions can be found for all of them.
A type font may seem like a minor detail to TikTok users who are mostly interested in watching videos — but it’s a very big deal to marketers who pay big bucks to put their material on the platform and want to present a very specific look and image to surfers. It can also make a big difference to content creators who want their videos to stand out and start trending.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.