Frequently Asked Questions about TikTok

What is the TikTok app

TikTok is an online application for recording and sharing amateur videos, launched in 2016. Its motherland is China, but in 2017 the app became available for users from all over the world.

Logo of the TikTok app

One of the most characteristic features of the service – a lip-sync option, so that every user can imitate a pop star or whoever.

Is TikTok the same as Musical.ly?

At the moment – yes, initially – no. That’s a long story, but in two words – Musical.ly was launched 2 years earlier, in 2014, but in 2017, it was purchased by TikTok owners and merged with their app.

As those two services had almost identical functionality, the “transferred” users didn’t even notice any changes, for them, their favourite application had just been renamed.

Who created TikTok?

A Chinese company ByteDance.

Who owns TikTok?

Well, the same - a Chinese company ByteDance.

How does TikTok work?

To log in to TikTok a user-to-be should either create an account with a unique login and password or use the one from Facebook or Instagram. The service itself works the same way as all the popular social media – you can navigate and look for videos using hashtags, usernames, and categories.

Log in to the TikTok app via a social media account

Creating their own visual content, users may apply various masks and filters. A lip-synching feature is extremely popular, but many “TikTokers” shoot funny or serious recordings without it.

Is there a TikTok web?

The desktop version of the TikTok app

Yes, there is a desktop version. But you may only watch videos, uploading isn’t available here.

How to cut TikTok videos on PC?

Directly – nohow. You should find and use third-party services to do it, for example - Online Video Cutter by Clideo:

  1. Open the tool in any browser. Click the "Choose file" button to upload the file from your device. Or you may tap an arrow on the right side of a blue pane and import from Google Drive or Dropbox cloud storage.
    2. Download a TikTok video by pasting a URL
  2. Set the sliders at the beginning and the endpoints of the film - or really cut it as you want. Hit “Cut”.
    3. Cut the TikTok video if necessary
  3. Download the result to your PC - or to your mobile device.
    4. Save the TikTok video to your device

We are regularly improving our tools to add new features or enhance your experience. Check our Help Center for the most recent instructions.


You may easily download a selected film from the application to your iOS or Android device, though.

How to change a TikTok username?

To change a name, you should log in properly, go to your account and tap “edit profile”. Then you may edit your username – just don’t forget to press “save” when you are done.

Change TikTok username in your profile

If the system shows an error, it means that someone else already uses your new username and you must choose a new one.

How to delete a TikTok account?

  1. Go to your profile page (“Me” sign in the bottom right corner).

  2. Select three dots in the top right corner to call a menu and click “Privacy and Settings”.
    3. Open Settings to delete a TikTok account
  3. Select sequentially "Manage My Account" and "Delete Account".
    4. Click Delete Account on TikTok's menu
  4. Confirm the last choice by hitting Delete Account one more time. If any window pops up, choose “Delete”.
    5. Click on Delete to confirm your account deletion

Your account will be deactivated for 30 days, during this period you can still change your mind and reactivate it. If not, in a month it will be deleted permanently.

How to film TikTok videos?

  1. Tap a plus sign (+) at the bottom of the screen.
    2. Record or upload a video to TikTok
  2. If you’re going to record a video, hit “Sounds” to call a music library, choose a song and tap “Shoot with this sound”. If you need some exact part of the track, set it with the help of sliders.

  3. You can just add a video from your camera roll. If you want to record, either press and hold a red recording button, or set a stopwatch, select a point to stop recording and hit “Start Countdown”.

  4. When the video is ready, edit it by adding special effects, changing the background song, adjusting the audio, using stickers, filters etc. Click on “Save”.
    5. Add filters and effects to the TikTok video
  5. When you are happy with the result, tap Next, add a caption, set privacy setting and, at last, post.
    6. Post the recorded and edited video on TikTok

How long are TikTok videos?

From 3 to 15 seconds. Also, you can string several videos together, their total length shouldn’t exceed a minute. Alternatively, you may choose a previously recorded film from your camera roll.

How to delete a TikTok video?

Delete a TikTok video from your profile

Launch TikTok as usual, go to your profile, select the needed film, tap three dots in the bottom right corner to call a menu, hit Delete (a trash bin icon).