Is There Any Way To Make My TikTok Video Longer?

TikTok quickly became the most dominant social media platform among younger users by focusing primarily on short, fun, memorable content.

Over time, the maximum length of TikTok videos increased from 15 seconds, to 60 seconds, to three minutes, to the current 10-minute limit. The app is even testing higher limits of 15-30 minutes, although most users don’t have access to that option yet.

For most “TikTok content” like dance challenges, home repair hacks, animal and cooking videos, pranks, and unboxing vids, 10 minutes is more than enough. In fact, studies have shown that TikTok posts that have the most impact are the 15- or 60-second ones that the app built its reputation on.

If you’re accustomed to shooting those short, punchy videos but want to try making a longer one, that’s easy. Slide the menu above the red “Record” button to “10m,” and you can produce a video that lasts as long as ten minutes.

Some people have something different in mind, though. They record a TikTok video that they’re happy with, but then decide that it’s too short.

What can they do to extend the content they’ve already got? Let’s find out.

How To Make TikTok Videos Longer

You can expand your video’s length using several different methods, depending on what you want the final version of the content to look like.

First, though, we’ll start with a secret that most people don’t know. You can actually post a TikTok video that’s as long as 60 minutes — as long as you shoot it outside of the app and store it in your phone’s camera reel.

You can then upload the longer content (instead of hitting the record button, tap the “Upload” logo to the right of the button, click the circle next to the long video, and tap “Next.” Your 60-minute recording will be put into the TikTok editor, where you can do any necessary work before posting it on the app.

That’s not what you had in mind? Here’s what you can do with a short video to make it longer.

1. Resume Shooting

As long as you haven’t already posted your short video or reached the time limit you selected at the start, you can “tack on” more content. From the editing screen or even the posting screen, you can back up by hitting the left arrow at the top left of the screen, hit the “Record” button again (it will be circled in gray), and add more material to the content you’ve shot.

You can keep adding onto the original until you’ve hit the time limit.

2. Add Videos or Photos Afterward

Once you’ve shot your video and moved on to the TikTok editing screen, tap the “Edit” icon (a small monitor) at the top of the right-hand menu. Now, tap the “+” icon on your video timeline; that will open a screen showing thumbnails of the photos and videos on your camera reel. Choose the ones you want to add (by clicking the circles on each one) and click “Confirm.”

You’ll be returned to your video timeline, where you’ll see the extra video(s) and photo(s) have been added. You can rearrange them any way you’d like, and you’ve extended the length of your original video.

3. Slow Down Your Video

Slow-motion not only allows viewers to focus on every moment of action in a video, but it also extends the length of the content. It’s easy to do, too.

After you’ve recorded your video and entered the editing screen, tap the “Edit” icon and then click on the video timeline (below the preview window). Find and tap the “Speed” icon (a small clock) in the bottom menu, and slide the large dot all the way to the left.

That will display your video at 1/10th speed, increasing the length of your video by a factor of ten. Moving the dot between 0.1x and 1x lets you choose how slowly the content should play (and how much longer it will be).

Use all of these methods judiciously, since not all videos maintain viewers’ interest when they’re expanded or stretched in this way. Done right, however, they can enhance the impact of your TikTok post while also making the video longer.