Short videos with more control: Friendstime as a TikTok alternative
Short vertical videos are fun, but many people want more control over what they see. Friendstime has reels in the VideoTime area, stories and livestreams, embedded in a social network from Germany. Here is how videos are selected and what applies to teenagers. You create an account with a username and email.
Reels in the VideoTime area
Friendstime offers reels as short vertical videos, in addition to stories and the feed with posts, images and videos. You can like, comment on and share videos in VideoTime. Hashtags let you assign content to a topic.
Friends or For you
In VideoTime you choose what you see. “Friends” shows your friends’ videos in chronological order. Under “For you”, public videos of other members are added; videos from friends come first, then sorting is by likes. Friendstime does not use a behavioural or interest profile to choose ads. So you decide whether to see only people you know or to discover something new as well.
Stories and highlights
Stories stay visible for 24 hours and then expire automatically; you can delete them earlier at any time. Anything that should stay longer goes into a highlight. In the Android app you can also put a poll on a story.
Going live
Livestreams with guests, chat and moderation are available too. You can go live from age 18; the server refuses to start streams for younger accounts. With “18+ content” you hide a stream from minors.
What happens to your videos
Stories and reels are meant for sharing and are stored readable on the server; they are not end-to-end encrypted. When you upload photos, Friendstime removes location and EXIF data. Images can be labelled as AI-generated if the provenance data in the file shows it or you say so when posting. You can report violations; people review the reports.
Try it yourself
Signing up takes a minute and is free.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see only my friends’ videos?
Yes. In VideoTime, “Friends” shows only your friends’ videos in chronological order.
How does “For you” sort?
Public videos of other members are added; videos from friends come first, then sorting is by likes.
From what age can I go live?
From 18. The server refuses to start streams for younger accounts.
How long does a story stay visible?
24 hours. Anything that should stay longer goes into a highlight.
Can I like and comment on videos?
Yes. You can like, comment on and share videos in VideoTime.