TikTok is a popular short-form video app that allows users to create and share 15 to 60 second videos. The app has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide. One useful feature of TikTok is the ability to save draft videos before posting them. This allows users to create, preview, and edit videos without having to post them right away.
When you create a new video in the TikTok app, you have the option to “Save to Drafts” instead of immediately posting. Saved drafts are accessed through the “Drafts” section in your profile. You can return to drafts later to finish editing or post them when you’re ready. Drafts make it easy to experiment with video ideas without cluttering up your profile or feed.
However, some users have experienced issues with missing or deleted drafts after uninstalling the app or deleting their account. This leads to the main question – what happens to TikTok drafts when you delete the app?
Saving Drafts on TikTok
When you record a video or capture a photo in the TikTok app, it automatically saves to your device’s storage as well as TikTok’s servers [1]. This means your drafts are saved even if you don’t manually save them yourself.
TikTok has an auto-save feature that stores any videos or photos you capture in the app as drafts. You don’t have to press save each time. As soon as you record a clip or snap a photo, it’s stored as a draft that you can come back to later.
You also have the option to manually save any work-in-progress videos or photos as drafts within the TikTok app. When editing a video, you can press the save icon to store it as a draft at any time. This gives you a way to manually save over the auto-save if you choose.
Accessing Drafts
To access drafts on TikTok, users need to log into the TikTok app on their device. Drafts are only viewable and accessible within the TikTok app itself. Users cannot view drafts on the web version of TikTok or from a different device unless they log into their account on that device’s TikTok app. This is because drafts are stored locally on the device and linked to the user’s account.
According to TikTok’s support page, drafts can be accessed from the profile tab by tapping on the “Drafts” button https://www.tiktok.com/discover/how-to-access-tiktok-drafts. This will display a list of draft videos that have been started but not yet posted. Tapping on a draft will open the video editing page and allow the user to continue working on that draft video.
In summary, accessing TikTok drafts requires being logged into the app on the device where the drafts were originally created. The drafts are tied to the user’s account and do not sync across devices automatically. Users need to log in on each device in order to view drafts locally saved on that device.
Deleting the TikTok App
Deleting the TikTok app from your device does not delete your TikTok account. When you delete the app, your profile, videos, likes, followers, and drafts will all still be there if you reinstall the app and log back in. The app itself is just removed from your device.
To fully delete your TikTok presence, you need to delete your account, not just the app. Deleting the app alone simply removes the icon from your home screen and clears up space on your phone or tablet. Your data and content will remain on TikTok’s servers.
Some key things to know about deleting the app vs. deleting your account:
- Deleting the app does not affect your account or information.
- All of your content and data stay on TikTok when you delete the app.
- You can reinstall the app at any time and access your account again.
- To completely remove your presence, you need to delete your TikTok account.
So in summary, removing the TikTok app from your device has no impact on your TikTok account itself. Your draft videos will still be saved if you log back in. Only deleting your account fully erases your data.
TikTok Account Deletion
To fully delete a TikTok account, you need to go through a few steps. First, open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner. Then go to Settings > Manage Account > Delete Account.
TikTok will ask you to confirm your password and provide a reason for deleting the account. After submitting this, your account will be deactivated for 30 days. During this time, your profile, videos, comments, likes, and followers will not be viewable on TikTok. You can still log back in and reactivate your account if you change your mind.
After 30 days, if you do not reactivate, TikTok will permanently delete your account and all associated data. According to TikTok’s privacy policy, deletion means your information is removed from its servers. However, some data may persist in backups for a limited time. Once deleted, an account cannot be restored.
So in summary, to fully delete a TikTok account, you need to request deletion in the app, wait 30 days as the account deactivates, and then TikTok will permanently erase the account data from its servers.[1]
Drafts when Deleting App
When you delete the TikTok app from your phone, your draft videos are not deleted. According to imyfone, your drafts remain stored on TikTok’s servers and can still be accessed when you reinstall the app and log back into your account. The app deletion only removes the local app data from your device, it does not affect anything stored in your TikTok account.
So you don’t need to worry about losing drafts if you temporarily delete the TikTok app. As long as you don’t delete your TikTok account, your draft videos will still be there waiting for you when you reinstall the app and log back in.
Drafts when Deleting Account
When you delete your TikTok account, all of your draft videos will also be permanently deleted. According to TikTok’s support page, “Deleting your account will remove all of your drafts and your profile from our servers.”
TikTok does not store or save any draft videos once your account is deleted. The drafts cannot be recovered after account deletion. This makes sense, since drafts are connected to your account and profile. Without the account, there is nowhere for TikTok to store the unfinished draft videos.
So if you choose to delete your TikTok account through the app or website, be aware that it will erase all saved drafts you want to keep and prevent you from accessing them in the future. Make sure to download or backup any drafts before deleting your account if you want to save that content. According to TikTok’s policies, account deletion is permanent.
Overall, draft videos are directly tied to your personal TikTok account. Deleting the account removes the ability for TikTok to maintain your drafts, so they are permanently erased. Be sure to save drafts ahead of time if you want to retain that content. (https://support.tiktok.com/en/privacy-safety/delete-your-account)
Recovering Drafts
It is possible to recover drafts on TikTok if you have deleted the app but not deleted your account. When you delete the TikTok app from your device, your draft videos are not deleted. They are saved to your account. You can recover these drafts by simply re-downloading the TikTok app and logging back into your account. The drafts will still be there under your profile.
However, if you permanently delete your TikTok account, there is no way to recover any drafts that were saved to that account. According to TikTok’s support page, deleting your account is irreversible, and all of your information including draft videos will be permanently removed from TikTok’s servers (Source 1). So if you regret deleting your TikTok account, there is unfortunately no way to get back any drafts you may have saved.
The key is that drafts are tied to your account. If the account is deleted, the drafts cannot be recovered. So be certain before deleting your TikTok account, as it will result in permanent removal of all account data including draft videos.
Tips for Draft Safety
To avoid losing your drafts if you delete the TikTok app or your account, it’s important to export and back up your data regularly. Here are some tips:
Export your drafts to your camera roll so you have copies saved on your device. You can do this by opening the draft, tapping on the video thumbnail, and then tapping the download icon in the bottom corner 1. Make exporting drafts part of your regular routine.
Back up your drafts and other TikTok data to cloud storage or your computer. TikTok allows you to download all your account data, including drafts, through its Privacy and Settings options 3. Do this regularly in case you need to restore your account.
Use a third-party app like ToolHub to easily export drafts without watermarks 1. This provides an alternate way to save copies.
Don’t rely solely on TikTok storing your drafts. Take proactive steps to export and back up drafts often so you have separate copies saved.
Conclusion
To recap, TikTok allows users to save draft videos that have not yet been posted. These drafts are stored within the app and can be accessed again later for editing and posting. When you delete the TikTok app itself, the draft videos are not automatically deleted, as they are connected to your TikTok account.
However, if you fully delete your TikTok account, this will result in the removal of all content associated with the account, including any saved draft videos. So drafts are retained even if the app is deleted temporarily from your device, but deleting the account permanently will erase them.
If you wish to save your draft videos before deleting your TikTok account, it’s recommended to download them directly from the app prior to deletion. You can also back them up by screen recording. Overall, as long as your account remains active, any drafts you’ve created will stay saved within TikTok unless manually removed.
In conclusion, TikTok drafts are connected to your account rather than just the mobile app, so they can be recovered as long as your account is intact. Deleting the app alone will not erase drafts, but deleting your account will remove them permanently unless you back them up externally first.
