TikTok Stories allow users to share short videos and photos that disappear after 24 hours (source: https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/creating-videos/tiktok-stories). They are designed to give TikTok creators a more authentic and personal way to share glimpses into their daily lives.
Unlike regular TikTok videos, stories are ephemeral and meant to be viewed quickly. They are presented vertically in slideshow format, advancing automatically. Users can react and comment on stories, but cannot reshare them to their own profiles (source: https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/tiktok-content-strategy/tiktok-stories-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/).
The stories format provides a more intimate, behind-the-scenes look compared to polished, public-facing TikTok videos. Stories enable creators to foster deeper connections with their followers.
Viewing TikTok Stories
TikTok Stories appear in several places within the TikTok app, making them easy to access. To view someone’s Story, go to their profile and tap on their profile photo. This will open up their Story if they have one posted. Stories also appear in your Following feed along with regular TikTok videos. Just swipe up to scroll through Stories from people you follow.
Stories are also featured on hashtag pages and TikTok’s Discover page. If you tap on a hashtag or topic, any Stories using that hashtag or related to that topic will appear at the top. TikTok’s Discover page showcases curated Stories around popular themes and categories. You can also find Stories in TikTok’s search results – they will have a colorful ring around the profile photo to indicate it’s a Story.
When watching someone’s Story, you can tap to go forward or swipe to advance to the next part of their Story. Unlike Instagram Stories, you can’t manually rewind or skip backwards through TikTok Stories. The Story will autoplay from start to finish.
Posting TikTok Stories
To post a TikTok Story, tap the plus (+) icon in the top-right corner of the app and select “Story” from the options. You can record up to 15 seconds of video by holding down the record button. You can also upload videos from your camera roll by tapping the image icon.
Some tips for creating engaging TikTok Stories include:
- Use interesting visuals and effects like stickers, text, and filters
- Be authentic and showcase your personality
- Film vertically and hold your phone steady
- Add relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience
After recording your Story, you can edit it using TikTok’s editing tools. You can trim the length of your video, add effects and music, insert voiceovers, and more. When you’re happy with your Story, post it to your profile. Your followers will be able to view it for 24 hours.
According to https://metricool.com/tiktok-stories-how-works/, TikTok Stories allow you to give your followers “a behind-the-scenes look” at your life. The informal, temporary nature of Stories makes them ideal for sharing candid moments and connecting with your audience.
Stories on Your Profile
When you post a TikTok story, it will appear at the top of your profile page right under your profile photo and bio. Viewers can see your profile photo ring highlighted with a colorful ring indicating you have an active story.
TikTok stories only stay live on your profile for 24 hours before disappearing. However, you can save expired stories to highlights on your profile. Highlights allow you to group related stories into collections that viewers can access anytime from your profile page.
To add stories to a highlight, tap the + icon when posting a new story and select “Add to highlight.” You can also add expired stories to highlights from your profile by tapping the three dots next to a story and selecting “Add to highlight.”
According to TikTok’s Creative Center, highlights give followers “a glimpse into what matters most” and capture memories in themes like travel, family, hobbies, events and more (source).
Stories in the Following Feed
Stories from accounts you follow on TikTok will appear in a separate section at the top of your main Following feed. This Stories section sits above your regular video feed and allows you to easily view the latest stories shared by accounts you follow.
Unlike the regular TikTok video feed which shows you an algorithmic mix of content, the Stories section chronologically displays the most recent stories from your followed accounts. You can tap through each story or skip stories you don’t wish to view. Stories play automatically but you can pause or replay them anytime.
An important difference between regular TikTok videos and Stories is that Stories disappear after 24 hours. So the Stories section gives you a dedicated place to catch timely, ephemeral content from friends and creators before it’s gone. It’s designed for sharing casual, in-the-moment updates through photos and short videos.
Stories in Hashtag Feeds
One way to discover TikTok Stories is through hashtag feeds that you follow. When you follow a hashtag, any Stories using that hashtag from public accounts will appear in your “Following” feed. This allows you to easily see Stories related to topics you’re interested in.
For example, if you follow #travel, you may see Stories from people documenting their vacations or adventures. Following popular hashtags in your niche is a great way to find relevant Stories. You can also search for hashtags and tap into that feed to browse Stories from a wider range of accounts.
According to Hashtag Expert, using relevant hashtags in your own Stories can help them get discovered by people who follow those hashtags. So hashtag feeds are useful both for viewing and sharing Stories.
Stories on Discover Page
One of the main places TikTok displays Stories is on the Discover page. The Discover page shows recommended videos and Stories based on your interests and interactions on TikTok. When you open the Discover tab, you’ll see Stories from creators you don’t follow but that TikTok’s algorithm thinks you may find interesting. These Stories on the Discover page allow you to discover new creators and content you may enjoy.
The Stories you see on the Discover page are tailored to you based on TikTok’s understanding of your interests gained through your likes, comments, shares, and other interactions on the app. So the Stories on your Discover page showcase content relevant to your tastes and what TikTok thinks you’ll engage with. This personalization of the Discover page Stories helps connect you with more creators and content suited to you.
Interacting with Stories on the Discover page trains the TikTok algorithm even further. Liking, commenting on, and sharing Discover page Stories helps TikTok refine its recommendations and surface more appealing Stories catered to you. So the more you engage with Stories on Discover, the better TikTok gets at showing you Stories you’ll find interesting from creators you may want to follow.
Geographic Location of Stories
TikTok allows users to view Stories based on geographic location. When you open the TikTok app, it will access your device’s location services and display Stories from other users near your current location. According to TikTok’s support page, “The approximate location information TikTok receives from your device is an area of at least 3 square kilometers (1.16 square miles) from your actual location.”
So when you open the app, you will likely see Stories from people in your city or neighborhood. TikTok doesn’t show your exact location to other users, but uses the general area to populate the Stories feed. This allows you to easily see what is happening around you through the community’s Stories.
You can also change your device’s location services for the TikTok app in your phone’s settings. Turning off location access means you may see more generic Stories not tailored to your area. The geographic location feature allows TikTok to showcase hyperlocal Stories from your community.
Source: TikTok Support
Stories in Search Results
TikTok Stories may appear in search results when searching for specific profiles or hashtags on TikTok. If a user has posted Stories to their profile recently, a “Stories” icon may appear next to their profile name in search results. Tapping on this icon will open the user’s Profile and automatically begin playing their Stories.
Similarly, searching for a hashtag may surface some recent Stories in the search results that used that hashtag. Selecting these Stories will open the Stories viewer and begin playing those Stories.
However, Stories do not appear in general search results on TikTok the same way longer-form videos do. Since Stories disappear after 24 hours, they are ephemeral content not meant to be discoverable for long periods via search. But profiles and hashtags used in Stories may display the Stories icon in related search results shortly after being posted.
According to TikTok Support, “Stories on TikTok allow you to share quick, ephemeral videos with your friends and followers” (https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/creating-videos/tiktok-stories). So while some Stories may surface in limited profile and hashtag search results, TikTok Stories are designed for your followers and not broad discovery through search.
Notifications for Stories
One handy feature of TikTok Stories is the ability to get notifications when your favorite creators post new stories. This allows you to stay updated on the latest content from creators you follow without having to constantly check their profiles.
To enable notifications for someone’s stories on TikTok:
- Go to that user’s profile page
- Tap the bell icon next to the Follow button
- Select “Notifications” to get notifications for all their new content including stories
You can also enable notifications just for new stories by selecting “Story Notifications” instead. This will only send you a notification when that person posts a new story.
Once enabled, you’ll get a push notification on your device when that TikTok creator shares a new story. Tapping the notification will open the app and take you directly to their newest story.
Turning on notifications is a great way to stay engaged with your favorite personalities and accounts on TikTok. It lets you easily keep up with their day-to-day life as shown through stories without having to constantly check who has posted new content.
If you ever want to turn off notifications for someone’s stories, just go back to their profile and tap the bell icon again to disable any notifications.
