TikTok Upload Failed or Can’t Post? How to Fix It, and How to Post Videos, Photos and Text

Does this match what you see?

• The upload gets stuck or says it failed.
• Your new post doesn’t appear on your profile.
• The camera screen is black when you try to record.
• You can’t post from TikTok in a web browser.

iPhone & iPadAndroidComputer (browser)

Based on TikTok’s “Making a post”, “Schedule video”, “Unable to post videos”, “How to delete posted videos” and “Troubleshooting on TikTok” pages (supplied by the site owner).

Why this happens: the possible causes

Our note: likely reasons, based on the fixes TikTok lists. How common each one is, is our own estimate.

• A weak or unstable connectionCheck this first

  TikTok’s first upload fix is switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data.

• A full cache or an old app versionCheck this first

  TikTok says to clear the app’s cache and make sure you’re on the latest version.

• The post is privateCheck this first

  TikTok says only public videos show under the posts tab, and new posts keep your previous post’s privacy setting.

• No camera or mic permissionPossible

  TikTok says a black camera screen may mean camera and mic aren’t enabled in your device settings.

How to fix it, step by step

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and only move to steps that sign you out or remove data later.

Drafts disappeared? Delete or recover a post

Drafts: tap Drafts on the post page to save one. TikTok says drafts are saved to the videos tab on your profile, and others can only see them once you post. TikTok says drafts may be removed if:

• TikTok was uninstalled and reinstalled on the device.
• The account was moved or switched to a different device.

TikTok also says drafts can’t be shared or transferred between accounts. Our tip: post important drafts as Only you (private) before reinstalling or changing phones.

Delete a post: open the video > More options … > Delete. TikTok says a deleted post stays in its system for up to 30 days before it’s permanently deleted.

Recover a deleted post (within 30 days):

1. Tap Profile > the Menu ☰ button > Settings and privacy.
2. Tap Activity center > Recently deleted.
3. Tap the post, then Restore. TikTok says its comments and likes come back too.

Video cover: on the post screen, tap Select cover, drag to the frame you want, then Save. Text and stickers: use Text or Stickers on the side panel; to delete one, press and hold it and drag it to Delete at the top.

How to post a video, photo or text on TikTok

Video (app):

1. Tap Add post + at the bottom.
2. Select a maximum length, then tap Record and Continue ✓ when done. Or tap Upload to add a video from your phone.
3. Add a filter, sound, text, stickers, effects or use advanced editing tools.
4. Tap Your Story to post to Stories, or Next to add a description, hashtags, tags, a location, a link and privacy settings.
5. Tap Post, or Drafts to save it. TikTok says drafts are visible only to you on your profile.

Photos: tap Add post + > Photo > Upload (up to 35 photos) > Next, edit, then Next again for description, tags and privacy, and tap Post or Drafts. For a live photo, tap Record to take a photo, edit it, set who can view it in the post settings, then tap Your Story or Done ✓ to post to the feeds.

Text: tap Add post + > Text, type and style your text, tap Done, add stickers, emojis or GIFs if you like, adjust the background and post settings, then tap Post to feed, Your Story or Drafts.

Posting on a computer

On TikTok in a web browser, click Upload at the top > Select video to upload (or Select file) and choose your video. TikTok says the whole video is uploaded on the web; to trim its length, upload it in the app instead.

TikTok Studio on the web (tiktok.com/tiktokstudio) says uploaded videos must be:

• MP4 or WebM format
• 720x1280 resolution or higher
• Up to 30 minutes long
• Less than 10 GB

Our note: if a computer upload fails, check the file against these limits first. TikTok’s Camera tools page says uploaded videos can be up to 60 minutes. TikTok Studio says if you select Run a copyright check, it checks the sounds in your video for copyright problems, and you can edit the video before posting.

Delete a posted video on a computer: TikTok says to open the video, click … and select Delete. This isn’t available on TikTok’s mobile website.

Can’t post in the browser? TikTok says to refresh the page, then restart the browser. TikTok says this isn’t available on its mobile website. Our tip: use the TikTok app on your phone instead.

Editing tools: limits and why an option is missing

Open the editor: after recording or uploading (tap Next for uploads), tap Edit on the side panel. You may need to tap Continue ✓ first.

• Limits: TikTok says you can add up to 35 items (photos and videos) in one editing session, up to 8 overlays, and one sound per post.
• No Transition button? TikTok says transitions only work when you’re editing multiple clips.
• Speed: tap a clip > Speed > Normal or Curve. Only video clips, and only one speed per clip.
• Templates (Add post + > Create > choose a template > Try this template): TikTok says this isn’t available to everyone, and Business Accounts can only use templates with commercially licensed music.
• AI Create (editing screen > AI Create > AI Image or AI Video): not available everywhere, with a limited number of regenerations each day. TikTok says prompts and photos must follow its Community Guidelines, it stores them for up to 30 days, and you shouldn’t use personal information or photos of others without their consent.
• Voiceover: Voice on the side panel > Record, then Done and Save. Add sound with Sound > Add sound (or Replace).
• Your phone’s own camera: TikTok says you can’t record with it inside TikTok. Record separately and upload instead.

TikTok says the editing tools work for Duet and Stitch videos too.

Captions, alt text and text-to-speech

• Auto-captions in the wrong language? TikTok says captions are generated automatically for uploaded videos. Before posting, tap More options on the post screen > Select video language. TikTok says only eligible videos show auto-generated captions.
• Fix or remove auto-captions: on your posted video, tap the caption > Edit captions, change or remove lines, then Save.
• Creator captions (styled captions): after recording or uploading, tap Captions on the side panel on the preview screen. You may need to opt in the first time. Edit each line, then Save.
• Alt text for photos: after selecting a photo, tap Next > More options > Add alternative text (up to 300 characters per photo) > Done. For a posted photo: More options … > Edit post > Add alternative text > Done.
• Text-to-speech: tap Text on the side panel, type your text, tap it, then choose Text-to-speech.
• Photosensitivity warning on your video? TikTok says it adds one when a video uses TikTok effects that may cause visual sensitivity for others.

TikTok video length limits and camera tools

TikTok says videos you record in the app can be up to 10 minutes long, and videos you upload can be up to 60 minutes. If you select a sound first, TikTok says the sound’s length sets the video length. Our tip: this is a common reason a video stops early.

• Flip camera: tap Flip on the side panel, or double-tap the screen (also works while recording).
• Speed: tap Speed on the side panel: 1x is normal, 0.3x and 0.5x slow it down, 2x and 3x speed it up.
• Timer (hands-free): choose a length, tap Timer on the side panel, set the countdown and the maximum length, then Start countdown. Tap Record to stop.
• Flash: tap Flash to turn the camera light on or off.
• Zoom: press and hold Record and slide one way to zoom in and the other to zoom out, or pinch the screen.

Effects and filters: add, remove, or find a missing effect

TikTok says effects can be added before or after recording, but some are only available before recording and others only after. Our tip: if an effect is missing, check whether you’re on the camera screen or the editing screen.

• Record with an effect: tap Add post + > Effects at the bottom of the camera screen, pick one (it’s applied automatically), tap anywhere, then record. Tap Favorites at the top of the effects panel to save it.
• Add a filter: tap Add post + > Filters on the side panel, choose a filter and use the slider to set its strength. TikTok says you can add filters before and after recording or uploading. Use Management in the filters panel to choose which filters appear.
• Remove an effect: on a video, tap Remove next to the effect at the bottom. On a photo, tap Effects > the effect > Remove, then Save.
• Remove a filter: tap Filters > Remove on the left. To turn off the retouch filter, tap Retouch on the side panel before you record or take a photo.

Make your own effect: tap Add post + > Effects, scroll across and tap Create > Create effect, build it from types like Makeup, Stickers, Green Screen or Templates, tap Done, add an icon and name, then Submit for review (or Save as draft). TikTok says approved effects are available to everyone, and it can reject or remove effects that break its Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Community Guidelines or Effect Guidelines.

Can’t add or remove an effect or filter? TikTok asks you to send feedback with a screen recording of your editing screen (tap Need more help?).

TikTok Stories and Highlights

TikTok says Stories stay visible for 24 hours. To keep one longer, save it to a Highlight on your profile.

• Post a Story: tap Add post + > Story (below the Record button), take or upload a photo or video, edit it, then tap Your Story. Or tap your profile photo at the top of your Following feed, inbox or profile.
• Delete a Story: tap your profile photo, swipe up on the Story, tap Delete and confirm. Or tap Share at the bottom of the Story > Delete.
• See who viewed it: open your Story to see total views at the bottom, then swipe up to see who watched.
• Who can reply: replies come as direct messages, so TikTok says to manage them with your direct message settings.
• Highlights: on your profile, tap Create Story Highlights, choose Stories from your archive > Add, then pick a cover and name. Press and hold a Highlight to Edit Highlight or Delete Highlight. TikTok says a Highlight has the same visibility as the original Story.

Duet and Stitch: option missing, or stop others using your videos

To Duet a video: tap the Share button on the video > Duet (you may need to swipe), record, then edit and post as usual. TikTok says not all videos have Duet turned on. Duet shows your video side by side with the other creator’s.

To Stitch a video: tap the Share button on the video > Stitch, choose the part you want, tap Next, record, then edit and post as usual. TikTok says not all videos have Stitch turned on. Our note: the creator may have turned it off or limited who can Stitch.

• TikTok says you need a public account to let others Duet or Stitch your videos.
• For Duet, TikTok says you can allow Everyone or Friends (followers you follow back), turn Duet off for individual posts, and remove Duets already made with your content.
• In your account privacy settings, choose who can Stitch your videos: Everyone, Friends (followers you follow back) or Only you. You can turn Stitch off for all existing videos at once with the reuse of content setting, or for individual videos.
• TikTok says Stitches already made stay on TikTok even if you later change your settings or delete your video. You can report a Stitch, or delete Stitch videos associated with your video.
• If a Duet or Stitch violates your privacy rights or the Community Guidelines, TikTok says to use its online privacy form (external site, opens in a new tab).
• If you’re under 18, TikTok applies its privacy and safety settings for teens to Duet and Stitch.

Playlists: create one, add posts, or find a missing playlist option

TikTok says playlists aren’t available to everyone yet. If you don’t see an option to create one in the posts tab on your profile, playlists aren’t available to you. A playlist is only visible to others if it has at least one public post, and it’s hidden from everyone else if you switch to a private account.

• First playlist: Profile > Menu ☰ > TikTok Studio > More tools > Playlist > Create playlist. After that, use Manage playlists in the posts tab > Create playlist.
• Add or remove a post: open the video > More options … > Add to playlist or Remove from playlist. TikTok says a post can only be in one playlist at a time.
• Add while posting: on the post screen, tap More options … > Add to playlist. You only see this once you’ve created a playlist.
• Edit: Manage playlists > choose a playlist to add or remove posts, rename it, or press and hold to reorder (the most recently added post plays first), then tap Done (or Remove / Add) to save.
• Delete: open the playlist > More options … > Delete playlist > Delete. TikTok says the posts themselves aren’t deleted.

Schedule a TikTok post

TikTok says you can schedule posts from TikTok on a computer: click Upload at the top of your feed, upload and edit the video, turn on the schedule toggle, pick a date and time (the time zone defaults to your computer’s), then click Schedule. Desktop scheduling is limited to some accounts (see the eligibility note below).

• You can schedule from 15 minutes to 10 days ahead.
• Scheduled posts show in your profile. TikTok says they can’t be edited, but can be deleted.
• You get a push notification when the post goes live.
• TikTok’s page says: “Only a ‘Business Account’ or over with a 10,000 followers or more can access desktop scheduling.”
• Scheduling isn’t available on TikTok’s mobile website.

How to know it worked

• Your post uploads and shows on your profile (or under the Lock icon if it’s private).
• The camera works when you tap Add post +.

Still not working? Your next steps

1. Send TikTok feedback with details and screenshots: TikTok says to tap Need more help? at the bottom (our note: of its help article in the app). In a web browser, click No under Was this helpful?, then Need more help?.
2. Post removed or under review? See TikTok account banned or under review.
3. App not working at all? See TikTok not working.

Frequently asked questions