What TikTok’s Out of Phone Program Means for Marketers

Since its launch in 2023, TikTok’s Out of Phone program has been redefining how audiences experience short-form video content beyond their screens. Designed to bring viral moments into everyday environments, from airport lounges to retail lobbies, Out of Phone offers brands a chance to extend their storytelling into the physical world. As of July 29, several new partners have joined the initiative, signaling TikTok’s commitment to blending digital creativity with real-world engagement.

Evolution of Out of Phone

When TikTok first rolled out Out of Phone two years ago, it tapped into established digital out-of-home networks such as Adomni, DIVE Billboards, GSTV, Loop TV, Raydiant, ReachTV, Redbox, Screenvision, and VEVO. These partnerships allowed brands to push popular TikTok clips onto screens at transit hubs, movie theaters, and convenience-store kiosks, creating an immediate bridge between in-app virality and offline visibility.

In late July 2025, TikTok announced an expansion of the program with the addition of Curb (taxi-top displays), Westfield Malls (global shopping destinations), Rockbot (venue audio systems), and Hope Hydration (smart water-station screens). By enlisting these new partners, TikTok has effectively broadened its reach into taxis, upscale malls, music-streaming venues, and communal refreshment points, spaces where consumers are both captive and receptive.

Despite ongoing scrutiny over its U.S. operations, TikTok’s growing Out of Phone roster underscores strong advertiser appetite for innovative DOOH buys and highlights the platform’s agility in extending its footprint beyond mobile devices.

What This Means for Marketers

Cross-Channel Integration

Integrating DOOH with in-app campaigns lets marketers reinforce a message at multiple touchpoints. For example, a TikTok hashtag challenge can drive user-generated clips on screen at shopping malls, creating a loop of constant interaction.

Data-Driven Placement

Many Out of Phone partners offer audience measurement and targeting tools. Marketers can leverage foot-traffic analytics (e.g. peak mall visitation times) to schedule creative that aligns with shopper rhythms.

Creative Adaptability

Short-form videos need to be reimagined for DOOH: consider subtitled loops, high-contrast visuals, and clear branding. Working closely with Out of Phone partners’ ad buying platforms, like Curb’s ad auction, you can tailor assets to each environment.

Early-Mover Advantage

As the program grows, there’s an open window to test novel formats. Outdoor activations tied to trending TikTok sounds or influencer content can generate buzz and earned media coverage.

What This Means for Brands

Bridging Online and Offline Experiences

Brands with both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar footprints can create seamless journeys. Imagine scanning a QR code displayed on a mall screen to unlock an exclusive in-app filter or discount.

Brand Safety and Alignment

While TikTok content is user-driven and dynamic, brands must ensure their DOOH presence aligns with audience expectations in each location. Partner platforms typically vet content for context appropriateness.

Budget Considerations

At present, premium DOOH inventory can be cost-prohibitive for smaller brands or those with leaner budgets. If diversifying spend into Out of Phone isn’t feasible today, brands should continue to focus on channels where they already excel, supporting owned, social, and Google (USG) strategies that reliably drive results, while monitoring how DOOH costs and entry points evolve over time.

If it is accessible, marketers will need to balance spend across digital and DOOH channels, optimizing for cost-per-impression and engagement metrics

Measuring Impact

Look beyond traditional clicks and likes. Track lifted search queries, foot-traffic uplifts, and social-listening spikes tied to your DOOH activations.

Our Thoughts

TikTok’s Out of Phone program represents a promising frontier in omnichannel marketing, one where the platform’s cultural relevance can permeate real-world touchpoints. Yet, its long-term impact hinges on execution quality, partner inventory growth, and consumer receptivity. As more brands experiment with this format, we’ll gain clearer benchmarks around engagement lifts, ROI, and creative best practices.

Looking forward, potential developments could include interactive screens that react to live TikTok trends or  geofenced triggers that tailor content to local events. While these possibilities are speculative at present, they underscore the program’s capacity for innovation.

For marketers and brands alike, now is the time to explore pilot activations, test creative adaptations, and establish measurement frameworks. Keeping a close eye on TikTok’s partner ecosystem, and remaining agile as new channels come online, will be crucial to unlocking Out of Phone’s full potential. Although the program is still in its early days, its trajectory suggests it could become a staple in the modern marketer’s toolkit, provided its real-world performance matches the hype.

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Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.

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