TikTok Stories: What They Are, How To Post Them

Most people who spend time on social media platforms are familiar with Snapchat and Instagram Stories, which have been extremely popular for years.

TikTok has a Stories section, too. It’s younger than those on the better-known apps, having only been introduced in 2021, but it’s gaining traction.

TikTok Stories are essentially the same as those on other platforms. They’re short videos, no longer than 15 seconds, and they disappear forever after they’ve been live for 24 hours. They’re designed primarily for viewing by a content creator’s existing followers, since they no longer appear on For You feeds. (The app periodically changes the rules governing Stories.)

TikTok users use these video snippets for various reasons. They tease upcoming TikTok videos, show behind-the-scenes or casual video clips, try out new video production techniques, answer questions from their TikTok followers; there’s no limit to the imaginative ways Stories have been used. They help to build a sense of community in the creator’s fan base as well.

You can find TikTok Stories posted by the people you follow by tapping their profile photo; when they’ve created a new Story, a blue ring will appear around the picture.

But how do you create your own?

Recording and Posting a TikTok Story

There are two options you can use when you’re ready to create a Story.

1. To make a photo or video that’s already on your phone into a TikTok Story, visit your TikTok profile and tap the small blue “+” sign attached to your profile photo. Choose the content you want to post (click “Select multiple” at the bottom of the screen if you want to use more than one vid or pic) and then tap “Your story.”
   There’s nothing else to do; you’ll see a blue circle around your profile picture, indicating that your Story is live.
2. To record a Story on your phone, hit the “+” at the bottom of your home screen to reach the Creator screen. Choose “15s” as the length of the video, hit the red button to record, and then tap “Your story” when you’re done. The video will be posted in seconds. If you record a video longer than 15 seconds, the system will automatically cut it into smaller segments.

You have the same access to edit and add sounds, stickers, and text to your Story, in the same way you can edit regular videos. Just remember, they’re only visible for 24 hours and will vanish after that, so post interesting or compelling TikTok content to make the most of the opportunity.