What Are TikTok Filters?
TikTok filters are visual effects that can be applied to videos to alter their appearance and aesthetics. They allow users to transform the look of their videos by adjusting color, adding overlays, manipulating speed, and more. Filters on TikTok are similar to Instagram filters, providing users with creative tools to enhance and stylize their content.
Filters have been a core feature of TikTok since the app launched in 2016. The platform offers a wide variety of built-in filters from subtle enhancements to dramatic transformations. Users can browse and select filters before or after capturing footage. Once applied, filters impact the entire video clip.
TikTok filters give users options to tweak brightness, contrast, saturation, and color tones. Other effects add layered graphics and animations like sparkles, glitches, or lens flares. There are also filters that distort images or add a retro style. TikTok provides seasonal, holiday, and trending filters as well as filters tied to specific songs and memes.
In summary, TikTok filters are effects within the app that alter the visual appearance of videos. They allow users to creatively stylize and personalize the look of their content. TikTok offers filters ranging from subtle enhancements to dramatic transformations and visual effects.
History of Filters on TikTok
Filters have been a core part of the TikTok experience since the app launched in September 2016, originally under the name Musical.ly. At the beginning, Musical.ly offered basic filters that added color tints and other light effects to videos (Source). However, filters really took off in popularity when Musical.ly merged with TikTok in August 2018.
Since the merger, TikTok has vastly expanded its filter offerings, releasing new filters on a regular basis. Some of the most popular early TikTok filters included beauty filters that smoothed skin and adjusted facial features. TikTok also introduced more artistic filters that added graphics, shapes, and text to videos. In 2019, TikTok rolled out Face Filter, allowing users to digitally apply effects that track facial movements like smiles and eyebrow raises (Source).
Over the years, TikTok’s filters have continued to evolve in creativity and capabilities. More recently, TikTok introduced filters with augmented reality (AR) effects, 3D objects, and advanced facial mapping. Brand partnerships have also expanded the types of branded and sponsored filters on the platform. Overall, filters have become integral for TikTok users to enhance their videos and participate in viral trends.
Popular Filter Types
Three of the most popular filter types on TikTok are beauty filters, AR filters, and trending viral filters.
Beauty filters smooth skin, brighten eyes, and enhance facial features. Some of the most popular beauty filters include Flawless Beauty, Golden Beauty, Soft Glam Beauty, and Subtle Glam Beauty [1]. These filters help users look their best in videos.
AR (augmented reality) filters add virtual elements to a scene, like animal ears and masks. Popular AR filters include Dog Face, Fairy Princess, Anime Eyes, and Nerd Face [2]. These cartoonish filters allow creativity and humor.
Viral trending filters gain immense popularity around themes or memes. Some examples are Cartoonify, Invisible Body, Spooky Scary Skeletons, and Hit the Woah filters [3]. These filters let users participate in joke and dance trends.
How TikTok Filters Work
TikTok filters utilize advanced facial recognition technology and algorithms to identify and track facial features in real-time. As soon as a user opens the TikTok camera, the app begins mapping key points on the face such as the eyes, nose, mouth, and facial contours. This facial data allows the filters to adhere to the face as it moves and make adjustments to factors like lighting and angles.
The facial tracking capabilities rely on powerful artificial intelligence and machine learning. TikTok trains its algorithms on massive datasets of facial imagery to help the filters quickly and accurately identify facial features and expressions. As more users interact with filters, the algorithms continue to refine and improve over time.
In addition to facial recognition, TikTok collects a range of data points to optimize filter performance such as lighting conditions, camera angle, phone model, and more. All of this data enables the app to deliver a smooth, realistic filter experience tailored to each user and situation.
Overall, the combination of robust facial tracking, AI/ML algorithms, and data collection is what powers TikTok’s advanced augmented reality filters in real-time. The technology provides users with fun effects while collecting data to continuously enhance the filter experience.
Sources:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/curious-how-tiktok-filters-created-blair-ding
https://effecthouse.tiktok.com/learn/guides/technical-guides/components/post-effect/filter
Impact of Filters
TikTok filters have had a significant impact on self-image, beauty trends, and culture. Many users, especially young people, feel pressured to look a certain way and use filters to smooth their skin, enlarge their eyes, plump their lips, and contour their face.1 These filtered versions of themselves become their ideal self-image, which can negatively impact self-esteem and body image when comparing themselves without filters.2
The popularity of beauty filters has also influenced beauty standards and trends. Full lips, rosy cheeks, and large eyelashes are all augmented by filters and have become coveted looks offline as well. This has led to the rise of aesthetic procedures like lip injections to emulate the filtered version of oneself.
Some argue TikTok filters promote conformity as everyone chases the same filtered aesthetic. The impacts on mental health and beauty standards have sparked debates around social media and filters. While they can be fun, filters present an unrealistic standard that primarily impacts women and girls.
Creating Custom Filters
One of the most popular ways to create custom TikTok filters is through Spark AR. Spark AR is an augmented reality platform owned by Meta that allows people to easily create their own AR effects and filters. To use Spark AR to make TikTok filters, you first need to download the Spark AR Studio app on your computer.
There are a few requirements your computer needs in order to run Spark AR Studio:
- Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or MacOS High Sierra 10.13 or later
- At least 8GB of RAM
- At least 2GB of GPU VRAM
- At least 2.4GHz quad-core processor
Once Spark AR is installed, you can start building custom filters and effects using 3D objects, particle systems, textures, audio, lenses and more. Spark AR has templates and tutorials to help guide you through the filter creation process. When finished, you can publish your AR effect directly to TikTok from Spark AR Studio.
The filter creation process involves choosing a template, customizing the look and feel, adding interactivity through touch gestures, and testing on mobile devices. With some learning and practice, anyone can start making their own specialized TikTok filters using Spark AR Studio.
Brands Using TikTok Filters
Brands have begun leveraging TikTok’s branded effects as a way to engage audiences and drive awareness. With the ability to create customized filters and lenses, companies can develop unique AR experiences that allow users to interact with their brand (Source 1). According to one source, “Branded Effects comprise a customizable suite of filters, enabling users to interact with your brand in all kinds of fun ways” (Source 1).
Popular examples of branded TikTok filters include:
- The NBA created an effect that allowed users to virtually “try on” official NBA jerseys.
- Beats by Dre launched a filter that let users try on different Beats headphones.
- ESPN made a lens that inserted users into iconic sports moments.
The marketing potential of branded effects is significant. By making filters entertaining and shareable, brands can gain huge organic reach. TikTok reports that branded effects averaged over 80 million video views in 2020 (Source 1). The interactive nature of the filters also allows brands to creatively engage users. Overall, customized effects represent an innovative way for companies to connect with TikTok’s massive Gen Z audience.
Controversies Around Filters
TikTok filters have generated considerable controversy, particularly around data privacy and body image concerns. Critics argue that some filters promote unrealistic beauty standards that can negatively impact users’ self-esteem and body image, especially among young people. For example, filters like ” Bold Glamour” and “Beauty Plus” apply dramatic alterations to facial features, smoothing skin, enlarging eyes, and slimming face shapes (ABC News, 2023). Before-and-after photos demonstrate how these filters can transform people’s appearances in unrealistic ways. While some view it as harmless fun, mental health experts warn these distorted filters can worsen body dysmorphia symptoms or make users feel inadequate about their real appearance.
There are also growing concerns about how face data is being collected and used with TikTok filters. According to researchers, TikTok has access to extensive biometric data through face filters, including detailed facial geometry and skin textures (BBC Future, 2023). However, the company’s data practices remain opaque, raising questions about how this sensitive information could be exploited, shared, or leaked without users’ knowledge or consent. Critics argue stronger data privacy protections and transparency are needed around beauty filters.
In response to controversies, TikTok has introduced opt-in screens for some filters warning they may impact body image. But many argue more substantial changes are required to uphold ethical standards, protect vulnerable users, and limit promotion of unrealistic beauty ideals.
Future of TikTok Filters
TikTok filters are expected to continue evolving and improving in the future. Here are some potential innovations and new features we may see:
More realistic effects – As the technology behind filters improves, we can expect more convincing age progression and time travel effects that look more natural and seamless.
Increased personalization – Filters may utilize more facial recognition and machine learning to generate highly customized effects tailored to each individual user.
Live filters – TikTok is already testing live filters that work in real-time on videos. This could allow for interactive filters that respond to a user’s facial expressions and movements.
Augmented reality (AR) – TikTok’s parent company ByteDance recently acquired an AR startup, indicating their interest in more advanced augmented reality filters beyond just face effects.
Partner integrations – Brand partnerships could produce co-branded filters tied to film releases, TV shows, or other intellectual property.
Enhanced accessibility – TikTok may add more filters optimized for diverse faces and accessibility features like closed captioning.
As filters enable more creativity and fun on the platform, TikTok will likely make them a focus of their product roadmap. The possibilities are endless as technology improves over time.
Key Takeaways
TikTok filters have transformed the way users create and consume short-form video content. What started as basic effects like color filters have evolved into augmented reality lenses and facial transformation filters powered by advanced computer vision technology.
Brands and creators have adopted filters for marketing and entertainment purposes. Filters provide new creative tools for expression and allow users to enhance their content. They have become a core part of the TikTok experience.
However, filters have also faced controversies around promoting unrealistic beauty standards, spreading misinformation if used irresponsibly, and privacy concerns around data collection. As TikTok continues to innovate, filters will likely become even more personalized, interactive and integrated into the platform.
