- Tap the + button at the bottom of TikTok, record or upload, edit, then tap Post.
- TikTok recommends 9:16 video at 540 × 960 px minimum, up to 60 seconds long.
- Pick a cover thumbnail before posting — it shows in your profile grid and search results.
- Drafts save to your profile but can be lost if you uninstall the app or switch devices.
- Captions can be edited after posting, but the video itself cannot be changed once live.
- Deleted posts stay recoverable for 30 days in TikTok's Recently Deleted folder.
TL;DR: Tap the + button, record or upload, add effects, write a caption, and tap Post. Done in under two minutes.
How to Post a Video to Your TikTok Feed
Understanding the post creation flow
TikTok gives you two paths. Record directly in the app or upload a video you already have. Either way, you land in the same editing screen before you publish.
The full loop: open TikTok, tap +, choose your source, edit, caption, post.
Step-by-step posting walkthrough
- Open TikTok and tap + at the bottom center of the screen.
- Tap Upload to choose a video from your camera roll. Or hold the red button to record in-app.
- Edit your video in the editing screen.
- Write a caption. Add hashtags and a location if relevant.
- Choose your audience: Everyone, Friends, or Only Me.
- Tap Post.
That's the full workflow. Most steps take seconds.
Before You Post: Preparing Your Video
Video format and specs
Per TikTok's documentation, 9:16 vertical is the recommended format. Minimum resolution is 540 × 960 px. Max file size is 500 MB. Accepted formats include MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, and AVI. Standard in-feed posts run from 5 to 60 seconds.
Shoot vertically and fill the frame. That covers most of the spec work.
Adding text, effects, and stickers
After recording or uploading, the editing screen opens. Tap Text to add overlays. Tap Effects to apply filters or transitions. Tap Stickers to drop in emojis, polls, or location tags. Stack as many as you want. Each element is movable and resizable independently.
Setting a video cover thumbnail
Before posting, TikTok lets you choose a cover frame. This is what appears in your profile grid and in search results. Swipe through your video and pick the strongest frame. A clear, eye-catching cover drives more profile clicks.
Editing and Customization Options
Post-recording editing tools
The editing timeline lets you trim clips, adjust playback speed, and reorder segments. You can apply color filters to the whole video or to individual clips. These tools are all inside the TikTok app with no additional software needed.
Adding sounds and music
Sound drives discoverability on TikTok. Tap Sounds to browse trending audio, search for a specific track, or record original audio. Add your sound before finalizing the edit. Trending audio can meaningfully expand how far your video travels.
Creating captions and text overlays
TikTok auto-generates captions from your video's speech. Review and edit them for accuracy before posting. Manual text overlays (added via the Text tool) are separate. You can set each text element to appear and disappear at specific timestamps.
Saving and Scheduling
Saving drafts for later
Not ready to post? Tap Drafts before you publish. Drafts save to the Videos tab on your profile and are only visible to you. One important note: drafts can be lost if you uninstall the app or move to a new device. Finish your drafts soon.
Publishing immediately vs. scheduling considerations
Tapping Post in the mobile app publishes immediately. For scheduled posting, use TikTok Studio on desktop. Scheduling is useful for targeting peak engagement windows in your audience's time zone without having to be online manually.
After You Post: Managing Your Content
Viewing your published post
Your video appears on your profile right away. Tap it to see views, comments, and shares. Analytics typically populate within a few hours of posting.
Editing captions after posting
You can update the caption, hashtags, and privacy settings after a post goes live. The video content itself cannot be changed once published. If the video needs fixing, delete and repost.
Deleting or recovering posts
Deleted posts stay recoverable for up to 30 days. Find them under Activity Center > Recently Deleted. After 30 days, they are permanently gone. One edge case to know: if the original creator of a Duet or Stitch deletes their video, those derivative posts cannot be recovered.
Organize Your Creative Assets with Coinis
Building a library of ready-to-post videos
Great TikTok content starts before you open the app. Coinis Creative Library stores all your generated videos, images, and creatives in one place. Organize by campaign, product, or platform. Pull any asset the moment you need it.
How Creative Library prepares content for any platform
Coinis builds creatives optimized for any format. Generate your 9:16 vertical asset, label it, store it, and grab it when you're ready to post. Whether you're posting to TikTok today or Meta tomorrow, your assets are ready when you are.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a TikTok video after posting?
You can edit the caption, hashtags, and privacy settings after a post goes live. The video itself cannot be changed once published. If you need to fix the actual video, delete the post and reupload the corrected version.
How do I recover a deleted TikTok post?
Go to Activity Center on your profile and look for the Recently Deleted folder. Deleted posts are recoverable for up to 30 days. After that window, they are permanently deleted and cannot be restored.
What video format should I use for TikTok?
TikTok recommends 9:16 vertical video. The minimum resolution is 540 × 960 px and the maximum file size is 500 MB. Accepted file formats include MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, and AVI.
What happens to TikTok drafts if I delete the app?
Drafts can be lost if you uninstall the TikTok app or switch to a new device. They are stored locally and are not transferred between accounts or devices. Save your drafts to your camera roll as a backup before uninstalling.