My TikTok Is Taking Forever To Process. What Can I Do?

Most TikTok content creators breathe a sigh of relief when they finish shooting and editing their latest TikTok video. All the hard work is done; all they have to do is create a description, add hashtags, upload their new masterpiece, and relax as they watch the views and engagement roll in.

Occasionally, though, something unnerving happens between the uploading and the relaxing: “Video is being processed.”

The vast majority of TikTok posts take only a few seconds to go live on the social media platform, but there are definitely exceptions. Other than going out for a walk (or having a drink) to calm down while you wait, is there anything you can do to deal with the process?

Not usually. It can help, however, to understand why your video is taking so long to be visible on the app — and knowing what’s happening might let you make sure you haven’t inadvertently done something to cause the delay.

Here’s what could be going on.

Why Is My TikTok Taking So Long to Process?

First things first: a processing time of 5-15 minutes isn’t the rule, but it’s not uncommon. Even if your posts usually require just 5-15 seconds before being active on the app, you shouldn’t panic if it takes somewhat longer. A huge queue of new videos uploaded to TikTok or a temporary system glitch can slow things down.

It’s been 30 minutes or an hour, and still nothing’s happening? These could be the reasons.

Your Video is Extremely Long

TikTok made its mark with short, 10- or 15-second videos. You can now create content as long as 10 minutes, though, and if you upload a pre-recorded video from your phone’s camera reel, your post can run as long as an hour.

When the system is running slowly, it may take much longer than usual to process a video. The encoding work is more time-consuming because the file size is so much larger, and automated moderation tools have to check the entire post for any possible violations of TikTok’s terms and conditions and Community Standards.

If you’ve uploaded a long piece of content, expect a longer wait before it’s available in users’ feeds.

You’ve Created “Questionable” Content

It’s common knowledge that sexually-explicit material isn’t allowed on TikTok. Content showing or promoting violence, illegal activities, self-harm, sexual exploitation, harassment, or hate speech is also banned, as are similar violations of the app’s rules. If you’ve clearly violated any of those Community Standards, you can probably guess why your video hasn’t been posted.

There’s a much greater chance, though, that your post may come close to “the line” and has been flagged by the system’s automated review system. In that case, your video may be under review for quite a while, perhaps as long as 48 hours, before human reviewers clear it or delete it. In those cases, your content may still show as “being processed.”

Generally speaking, the post’s thumbnail in your TikTok profile will show a flag saying “Under review” if it’s stuck in a moderation queue. When the review is complete, you’ll either see the video go live or you’ll receive a takedown notification in your TikTok inbox.

In the meantime, you might want to take another look at your post to see if you’ve pushed the envelope too far. That won’t make a difference in the process, but it can let you know whether you’ve got to be more careful in your future content creation.

The Upload Was Never Completed

TikTok users sometimes have technical issues that stop the upload before it’s complete, meaning the full video can’t be processed by the app. If you’re still waiting after an hour or two and your post still hasn’t gone live, you might want to check these possibilities:

• Poor Internet Connection: A weak network signal may cause a content upload to be interrupted. Move closer to your router or modem, switch to a different network, or use cellular data instead, and try the upload again.
• App Issues: Your app’s performance may be degraded if your storage is full; clear your app and phone caches and try again. The app may have locked up; log out and back in again (or restart your phone) and give the upload another shot. You may have an outdated app; install the latest version (after saving your content as a draft) and try the upload once more.

You’ve Been Penalized

If you’ve previously posted content that violated TikTok’s rules, you may have been temporarily banned from uploading new videos. Check your notifications to see if the app has sent you a message explaining the terms of the penalty.

What To Do If You Can’t Resolve the Issue

Contact TikTok support by visiting your account profile, tapping the three horizontal lines at the top right-hand corner of the screen to open the menu, and clicking on “Settings and privacy.” Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap “Support.”

You’ll be able to ask why your video is taking so long to process, and you should eventually receive a response. Just be warned: it will often take longer to get an answer than it takes for even a problematic video to be processed.