How Are TikTok Stories Different?
Generally speaking, TikTok Stories work in pretty much the same way as stories on other social media apps. However, there are a few differences worth mentioning. For instance, Stories on TikTok will appear in the “For You” feed just like regular videos. On top of that, unlike what we’ve seen with other social media, viewers will be able to leave a public comment on the Stories. Typically on other platforms, users can only reply to the person who posted the story, so you can’t start a public discussion regarding the content that was posted. At the same time, TikTok Stories are different, as they don’t allow the original poster to see who viewed them. You’ll see the number of people who watched your Story at the bottom, but it won’t be possible to know who opened your Story unless they post a comment or like it. Moreover, the Stories you post won’t show up in your Profile grid, just like your regular videos. Even so, you’ll still have to visit a user’s profile and can view their current Story by pressing on their profile picture. If they have a Story posted, you’ll notice a blue circle around their profile picture.
How to Create Your First TikTok Story
Before proceeding, make sure you have the latest version of TikTok installed on your device. The update that brings Stories to the app is pretty recent, so visit the Play Store, search for TikTok and see if an “Update” button is available for the app. If it is, press it and allow the app to do its update before looking for Stories. If you have auto-updates turned on, follow the instructions below:
Story Customization Options on TikTok
There are various ways to make your Story more attractive on TikTok. Once you’ve selected the photo or video, you’ll be able to customize your creation using the menu on the right, which includes various options. Text – lets you add colored text to your Story. You have various fonts to choose from and can highlight your final text. Stickers – allows users to add various stickers (including animated) and emoji to their Stories, including their own. (Tap on the third “Add Image” button to do that.) From here, you can also add mentions, hashtags and create a poll. Filters – TikTokers can also add filters to their Stories from a selection of many. Privacy Settings – a very important option that lets you decide who gets to view your Story. Either make it completely private, allow everyone, or only allow friends to view it. From here, you can control whether you want to allow comments on your Story. Voiceover – adds a voiceover to the story. Simply record your voice (or someone else’s) by tapping on the “Record” button and the result will be added to the Story. Voice effects – if you’ve uploaded a video, you can access various voice effects such as Robot, Elf and more, provided your video has a voiceover applied to it. Adjust clips – if you’re using a video for your story, you can use this option to portion your clip as desired. Enhance – a button that automatically enhances your picture/video. Tap on it and see if you like the result. Add sound – this button at the top lets you add an audio background to your Story. Tap on the magnifying glass to search for your favorite song. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find it in the TikTok music library.
Posting and Editing Your Story
Note: You can’t edit your existing Story, so you won’t be able to add additional stickers or change the voice effect. Image credit: Freepik
