How to use a TikTok video template

You can create a great TikTok video by doing nothing more than simply talking to the camera. However, if you want to do something a little fancier or you’re still unsure of your own ability to spruce up your video, you can start with some of the predesigned templates that come with the app.

Templates make it easy to create a lively, complex video. You just have to drop your own photos and / or videos into the template, and you’re done. (You can, of course, add your own text, sounds, effects, and more as well.)

Here’s how to start using a template:

• Tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen to start a new video.
• Select Templates. (You’ll find it next to the Story label at the bottom of the screen.)

• Swipe through the prepared templates that came with the app. Last I checked, I had 61, but the number can vary. Each template will have a descriptive name on top, and under that, it will tell you how many photos you can use with the template. Some will have a minimum and a maximum (say, two to five photos), while others will simply have a maximum (up to, say, five photos). If you see one you like, tap the large Upload photos button.
• You’ll be taken to your device’s photos area. Don’t worry that you’ll forget how many photos you can use; you’ll find the number in the lower left of your screen.

• As soon as TikTok has finished processing the photos, they will be dropped into the template.

From here, you can make some additional changes. For example, you can add stickers, tweak the effects, or add a voiceover. The rest of the process of saving and posting a TikTok video is the same as always.

But what if you don’t like any of the templates that TikTok has supplied? There are a variety of free templates and tools out there offered by a plethora of companies and creators such as Zoomerang and Canva. But be wary: while these and other services may offer free templates, you may have to deal with watermarks, ads, or other add-ons that you might want to avoid.

Update August 9th, 2022, 3:14PM ET: This article was originally published on July 12th, 2021, and has been updated to account for changes in the app’s interface.