The following article contains mention of suicide.
TikTok is one of the most important social media platforms of the last few years and despite the recent hacking incident, the app shows no signs of slowing down. It's a great place to catch up with celebrities and internet influencers and can be used for both discussion and content alike.
That's why it's important to understand all the features that TikTok has for its s. These are the tools for any budding TikToker's wanton delight. Proper usage of these is important, even if one doesn't plan on becoming famous on the platform. And some features are pretty obscure, making them extra helpful to know about.
Adjust Clips
Becoming a creator on TikTok can be really tough. While the app does come with an editor, there are plenty of features that are somewhat obscure. The "Adjust Clips" button hangs out in the upper right-hand corner of the main editing window.
Some might not think this feature is obscure, but there are tons of poorly paced videos on the platform. That's evidence enough that most don't properly utilize this tool. It allows s to trim parts of recorded clips. It also allows for the addition of transition effects, which would really make the video's pace better.
Custom Audio
TikTok was originally created for songs and sounds. That focus has gradually moved away as the platform became more focused on skits and reaction content. It's still easy to import songs into clips, though. In fact, it's also easy to make custom audio.
To make custom audio, s use the "Use This Sound" button. It's a record symbol glowing on anything the themselves has ed to TikTok. This re-s the audio of the clip to TikTok's editing client. With a bit of cleverness, one can almost whatever sound they like.
Managing Custom Audio
Creating custom audio is already hard enough, but managing it can also be tricky. If one has made a custom sound and wants to share it, they're going to want to give it a name. Clicking on the record on a source video also lets you access its features.
This allows s to mark it as private and public. It also allows s to rename it to search for it later. This renaming can only be done once, though. To avoid having to re-, s best make sure their TikTok sea shanties or what have you have the correct name.
Hiding Your Likes
Like any social media platform, some s might expect a degree of privacy. Letting other s see what one has been up to can sometimes be embarrassing. Luckily, TikTok allows s to hide their likes from others. It's off by default, though, so many don't know it exists.
To access this feature, s must tap the three dots in the corner of the "Me" menu. After that, they can navigate the options to the privacy section. This is where the handle toggle to turn off public likes lies for use.
Screentime Management
Sometimes an iconic movie character might not get a lot of screen time. This can be a good thing, as it leaves the audience wanting more. This isn't really true for TikTok and mobile apps in general, though. As such, TikTok features a tool to help s manage their time on the app.
The Screen Time Management tool found in the options lets the set a timer for how long they can use TikTok every day. This timer can be 40, 60, 90, or even 120 minutes. It also requires a to undo. This makes it pretty helpful for parents or even someone who wants to place their own limits on their screentime.
Warning Tags
While it can be a ton of fun, there's plenty of creepy content on TikTok, as well. Horrifying and disturbing imagery can be pretty common on a platform with this many s. While there is a reporting tag for unlawful content, the warning tags are good for most situations.
For misinformation, TikTok will usually tag it as such itself. But when it comes to disturbing content, there are plenty of tags creators can add. This follows a trend of TikTok respected triggers and the mental health of its s. It even has a feature that can redirect s to suicide help hotlines, which is helpful if not a bit ominous.
Translate Comments
This tool is useful for s who either receive a lot of comments or just like reading them. TikTok is enjoyed by s around the world, so not all comments are in English. The app is Chinese in origin, after all. If the sees a comment they can't understand, they need only tap and hold it.
This brings up a menu with a few options, including "translate." Helpfully, the doesn't need to know what language the comment is in. TikTok uses a built-in system to determine the comment and translate it into the default language on the installed phone. This is really helpful for helping connect people over the social media platform.
Comment Filter
This is another feature that can be accessed through the "Privacy and Safety" option in the Settings menu. It allows s to add a filter on the comments they receive and view. Clicking on the option in the aforementioned menu brings up a prompt for entering keywords and anything added will be blocked automatically.
This is helpful for avoiding triggers or dangerous language. Speaking of language, this feature is available in multiple other languages besides English, like Hindi. A related feature allows the filtering of commenters themselves. The menu has a "Who Can Comment On My Videos" tab that can restrict comments on your own work to friends or family.
Family Pairing
The famous app isn't just for younger people. Parents and even senior citizens can use TikTok and the whole family can get in on the action. Developer ByteDance themselves realized the potential behind families using the app together. That's why they introduced the Family Pairing feature.
Family pairing allows parents to link their s to their children's. This allows them to adjust settings remotely, without touching the child's phone. It's the perfect tool for a parent who wants to restrict what content their child sees without breaching their privacy.
Restricted Mode
Families can use TikTok together, but minors on the platform can be a problem. While TikTok does have an age minimum to prevent the youngest minors from ing the platform, it's easy to circumvent. Even then, teens are one of the platform's biggest demographics. An adult (either through Family Pairing or when helping a child set up an ) can activate Restricted Mode to make the viewing experience for minors on TikTok safer.
It uses a state-of-the-art algorithm to tag videos as inappropriate for children. This can keep them safe from profane, disturbing, graphic, or sexual content that might not be good for them at impressionable ages. Tagging videos also plays a part in how the algorithm restricts content. The Restricted mode is protected for 30 days at a time. This allows s to unlock certain videos that might have been mistakenly flagged. It's a feature that is super useful, yet somewhat unknown, and great at making the platform better.