TikTok is a popular short-form video app that allows users to create and share 15-60 second videos. One of the key features of TikTok are its filters, which allow users to easily edit and enhance their videos.
TikTok offers a variety of filters that can change the look of a video with just a tap. Filters can add visual effects, change the color scheme, add animated elements, beautify the subject, and more. With so many options to choose from, certain filters tend to be more popular among TikTok users.
What are TikTok filters?
TikTok filters are effects that allow users to alter and augment their videos in creative ways. Users can add filters to change the look of their videos with color tints, overlays, stickers, face effects, and more. The filters use advanced technology like augmented reality (AR) to add the effects in real-time while filming.
Some examples of popular filters include the Black and White or Vintage effects that add color tints, the Green Screen or Mirror effect that places the user in different backgrounds or situations, and the Face Changer filters that place masks, makeup, or accessories on the user’s face.
TikTok has hundreds of different filters in its app categorized by type like “Beauty,” “Animals,” or “Travel.” Users can browse these categories to find fun effects to add personality and flair to their videos. The possibilities are nearly endless thanks to sophisticated algorithms that track faces and environments in real-time.
By using filters, TikTok creators can transform an ordinary video into a visually engaging experience for viewers. The filters have become core to the TikTok experience, helping users create effects and styles that make their videos truly one-of-a-kind.
Most popular TikTok filters
Some of the most popular TikTok filters used by creators and users today include beauty filters, pet filters, meme/comedy filters, effect filters, trending filters, and creator-specific filters. According to TikTok’s own rankings, the filters most used on the platform include:
Beauty filters: These enhance the appearance of users in videos, smoothing skin, enhancing eyes and lips, and more. Top beauty filters include Flawless, Beauty3000, and Rose.
Pet filters: These add cute animal features like dog ears, cat faces, and bunny ears. Top pet filters include Puppy, Kitten, and Bunny.
Meme/comedy filters: These add comedic elements or facial distortions. Top meme filters include Inverted, Warp, and Skeleton.
Effect filters: These change the entire look of the video, like making it black & white or adding cool effects. Top effect filters include VHS, Glitch, and Fairy Light.
Trending filters: These gain popularity around viral trends, challenges, and memes. Examples include Cartoonify, Disco, and Green Screen.
Creator filters: These are specially designed by top creators for their fanbase. Examples include Charli, Addison Rae, and Spencer X filters.
Beauty Filters
Beauty filters are among the most popular filters used on TikTok. These filters enhance facial features, smooth skin, adjust face shape, change eye color, apply makeup effects, and more. Some of the most popular beauty filters include:
The “Beauty” filter smooths skin and adds a subtle glow. It’s one of the most used beauty filters on TikTok according to popular beauty filters on tiktok.
The “Pretty” filter slims the face shape, makes eyes look bigger, evens out skin tone, and adds a beauty effect. It’s featured in numerous TikTok makeup and beauty videos.
“Facetune Smoothen” filter smoothes skin texture and minimizes the appearance of blemishes and acne scars. Many beauty influencers incorporate this filter in makeup tutorials and product reviews.
Filters like “Rose Gold Blush” and “Pink Blush” add a touch of pink or rose gold blush to the cheeks, brighten up skin, and create an overall subtle glowy effect. They are commonly used in beauty, skincare and makeup videos.
Overall, beauty filters allow users to enhance natural features, hide perceived flaws, achieve makeup looks, and boost confidence when creating TikTok videos. Their popularity stems from offering easy beauty solutions to creators and viewers alike.
Pet filters
Some of the most popular filters on TikTok allow users to transform themselves into cute animals or add animal features to their face or voice. These pet filters use AR technology to overlay dog ears, cute puppy eyes, cat whiskers, and more onto a person’s face in real-time.
The pet filter effect has been a huge hit, allowing users to give themselves fluffy dog ears, shiny puppy eyes, a cute nose, and an adorable tongue. It’s become one of the app’s most beloved filters for adding some puppy love into videos.
There are also specific dog and cat filters tailored for each type of animal. The dog filters for dogs include options like the Samoyed filter featuring fluffy white ears or the Husky filter with blue eyes. For cat lovers, there’s the cat ear filter, whiskers filter, and more to give a feline flair.
These playful pet filters allow TikTokers to transform into the animals they adore. The cute and silly effects are a popular way to show off some furry cuteness in short form videos.
Meme/comedy filters
Some of the most popular filters on TikTok are the goofy or funny ones that are designed to be meme-worthy or help create comedic videos. According to the best filters for a funny tiktok, some of the top options include filters like the Giant Face filter that enlarges your face, the Wobble filter that makes your face jiggle, and the Inverted filter that flips the camera view upside down for a disorienting effect.
TikTok users consistently seek out the funniest filters to use in their videos, as seen by search trends like “really funny tiktok filters” and “funny tiktok filter trends” (TikTok Search). Some all-time favorites are the popular Cartoon filter that animates your face, the Skeleton filter that makes your face look like a skull, and the popular Old filter that ages your appearance dramatically.
Comedic TikTok creators especially rely on these humor-focused filters to deliver laughs and go viral. Filters like the Wiggly filter, Spin filter, and Stretch filter warp and distort facial features in silly ways perfect for getting a reaction. While trends come and go, meme and comedy filters remain essential for adding a fun, wacky element to any TikTok video.
Effect Filters
Some of the most popular TikTok filters are those that apply fun or interesting visual effects. These allow users to transform or enhance their videos in creative ways.
One very popular effect filter is the Glitch effect, which makes it look like the video is glitching out with digital distortion. This adds an edgy, futuristic vibe. As noted by CyberLink, the Glitch filter is often used for dance trends or music videos on TikTok [1].
Another top effect filter is the Disco filter, which overlays retro disco balls and lights over a video. As highlighted by Iconosquare, this filter creates a dance club or party atmosphere [2]. It works well with trending dance challenges.
Influencer Marketing Hub points out that the Double Screen filter is also widely used [3]. This divides the frame into two screens, allowing users to show two perspectives at once. It’s great for duets, skits, and reactions.
Other popular options cited by multiple sources include the Tear filter which rips the frame, the Trisection filter which divides it into thirds, and the Time Warp Scan which creates a cool cyberpunk effect [1][2].
Effect filters on TikTok provide creative ways for users to make fun, visually engaging videos that stand out on the platform.
[1] https://www.cyberlink.com/blog/app-video-editing/1927/best-filters-for-tiktok
[2] https://www.iconosquare.com/blog/the-15-tiktok-filters-and-effects-you-want-to-use
[3] https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-filters/
Trending filters
Filters that incorporate popular trends, memes, or challenges often experience spikes in popularity on TikTok. Some of the most viral trending filters in 2022 include:
The Disney filter which adds animated Disney character ears and eyes to a user’s face, went viral alongside the trend of dressing up and acting out Disney scenes (Source).
Filters featuring popular meme images and reactions like the “Woman Yelling at Cat” meme and the “I’m Gonna Tell My Kids This Was…” meme have trended as users create funny videos around those concepts (Source).
Augmented reality (AR) filters that allow users to wear virtual fashion items or appear in different environments, like Zara’s “Invisible Dressing Room” filter, often gain popularity when associated with viral outfit check or room tour trends (Source).
Overall, funny, timely, and interactive filters that align with trending memes and challenges tend to become most popular on TikTok.
Creator-specific filters
Many popular TikTok creators design their own custom filters for fans to use. These unique filters allow users to engage with top creators in a fun and interactive way. For example, Charli D’Amelio created her own “Charli” filter that gives users her signature makeup look and bangs hairstyle. Other top creators like Addison Rae and Bella Poarch also have their own filters that mimic their appearance. Fans eagerly try out these filters to feel closer to their favorite creators.
These creator-specific filters often go viral as fans share videos using them. The “Charli” filter has been used over 2 billion times, showcasing the immense popularity of customized filters from top TikTok stars. Brands have also partnered with creators to make sponsored filters tailored to their specific audience. Overall, creator-specific filters allow fans to immerse themselves in the world of their favorite TikTok celeb.
Conclusion
We explored some of the most popular filters used on TikTok today, which have huge impacts on both users and culture. Beauty filters like the ‘beautiful’ filter smooth skin and modify facial features to portray idealized beauty standards. Pet filters add cute ears and noses to make people appear like cuddly animals. Meme and comedy filters like the wide or inverted filter distort faces for humorous effects. Trending filters frequently appear in viral dances and challenges, often promoting songs or aiming to go viral themselves. Many popular creators have custom filters that feature their branding, creating strong associations between those filters and the creators’ content. While filters can be fun and creative, some promote potentially unhealthy body image ideals or stereotypes. But on the whole, TikTok filters allow users to express themselves, connect with culture, and join global conversations in new ways.
