With TikTok still<\/em> facing the possibility of a ban in the U.S., the popularity of short-form video content continues to grow. The latest company to enter this space is TED<\/a>, the non-profit best known for its TED Talks featuring prominent figures like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the late Pope Francis.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Wednesday, the company announced its new short-form video feature, aptly named \u201cTED Shorts.\u201d The feature has gradually rolled out to users since the beginning of May.\u00a0<\/p>\n Available on both iOS<\/a> and Android<\/a> devices, TED Shorts can be found in the middle of the navigation bar. By tapping the button, users are taken to a swipeable vertical feed featuring short snippets of TED Talks and other original content. Users can like videos, leave comments, and share with friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n TED teamed up with Genuin<\/a>, a no-code platform for generative video experiences, to power the TikTok-like feature. As Genuin explained to TechCrunch, TED\u2019s new feed will be personalized with AI, curating a selection of videos based on factors like personal interests, trending subjects, and other signals to surface the most relevant content for each viewer.<\/p>\n TED Shorts is one of the more notable additions to the app, which hasn\u2019t seen a significant update in its 15-year history. Since its launch in 2010, the app has primarily served as a destination for users to access TED Talks and other content via their mobile devices, such as educational animations and 26 podcasts spanning various topics like\u00a0business, climate, and health.<\/p>\n The new feature offers a way for users to discover highlights of their favorite speakers before committing to a full-length video. This is also the first time users can engage with one another within the TED app, fostering a sense of community that may have been previously lacking.\u00a0<\/p>\n TED already has a substantial following on YouTube<\/a> (26.1 million), TikTok<\/a> (2.8 million), Instagram<\/a> (8.1 million), and other social media channels, indicating a demand for short video content.\u00a0<\/p>\n The launch of TED Shorts comes at a crucial time as the app seeks to boost its growth. Head of Product Tricia Maia tells TechCrunch that the app had been deprioritized \u201cfor several years,\u201d which impacted its monthly active users and annual growth metrics. According to Appfigures, the app was downloaded 1 million times in 2024, a 17% decline compared to 1.2 million installs in 2023.<\/p>\n To date, the company boasts more than 100 million app downloads globally.<\/p>\n TED joins a growing number of companies adopting short-form video content as platforms compete for users\u2019 attention. Earlier this month, Netflix<\/a> revealed that it\u2019s experimenting with a short video feed for its mobile app.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, TikTok faces a potential ban<\/a> in mid-June<\/a>, although President Trump plans to extend the deadline<\/a> for a third time as deal negotiations continue. Should U.S. users lose access to TikTok, they might seek alternative platforms<\/a>, and TED hopes they\u2019ll turn to what it believes is higher-quality content compared to what\u2019s found on other apps.<\/p>\n \u201cIn an era of fragmented attention, people are actively seeking more thoughtful, less overwhelming ways to connect with new ideas, and with each other,\u201d Maia said. \u201c[TED Shorts] is our antidote to algorithm fatigue and doom-scrolling low-quality content.\u201d<\/p>\n The company plans to continue evolving TED Shorts over time to meet user needs while also exploring new ways to enhance community building.<\/p>\n Maia added, \u201cWe\u2019ll explore ways to add new community features, and expand community-driven features to other TED platforms, like our website\u00a0\u2026 This could expand beyond video and mobile to a cross-platform community engagement experience where our audience won\u2019t just watch videos, but can participate in truly personalized, topic-driven digital communities on a global scale.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This story was updated to correct total app installs from 30 million to 100 million. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TEDapppodcasts.png?w=680\")