Is TikTok possibly positioning creators to be more compatible with the horizontal view display format?

The popularizer of the full-screen, vertical video, it seems, now is nudging some creators into shooting content horizontally. The evidence, via screenshots posted by users.
TikTok is offering certain creators "more views" on content shot in landscape format.
TikTok:

For example, only landscape videos qualified to have their views increased; such videos are those in which the width is greater than the height and that are longer than 1 minute.

Such videos will be boosted in the app for 72 hours. This could prove to be a good posting incentive for TikTok creators who want more exposure in the app.

But it's an interesting flip for TikTok, whose typical focus is away from the creators.

As noted, vertical video is the core product of TikTok, and the popularity of that format within the app has caused almost every other social app to follow the same trend and at least experiment with their own vertical, full-screen video display options. Which has led to massive growth in video engagement elsewhere in apps, so why TikTok would suddenly want to move away from it does seem strange.

But in any case, this is far from likely to be a move by TikTok to abandon the original format, as such, but rather a push towards diversification of its content types-the thing the company has also attempted to try through its Creativity Program by encouraging creators to post longer videos, to be different in style and form, thereby diversifying the pool of content.

(Worth noting too that TikTok added a mention of "landscape format" to its "Best Content Formats" listing on the Creativity Program overview page late last year.)

TikTok's also experimenting with 30-minute clips as another element, and maybe, in this context, landscape videos are just another ingredient in its broader growth mix, as it looks to appeal to more users, and keep things interesting.

It just feels weird that it would be trying to get users to flip their device. Because presumably you'd then have to flip your phone back around again as you scroll.

Or perhaps, if TikTok can get enough landscape clips in the app, it could offer a dedicated stream of landscape only content, which could then lead to new trends and opportunities.

Perhaps that is in preparation for the boom in viewing through headsets, where content in the landscape would be better.

We have asked TikTok for additional information regarding this experiment and will update this post as needed when we hear back.