TikTok allows users to save draft videos that they can come back to and post later. This is a useful feature as it lets you work on video content without having to post it right away. Drafts are stored within the TikTok app itself.
However, sometimes users run into issues where their draft videos seem to disappear from the app and can no longer be found. This can be frustrating if you spent time working on a draft but now it’s gone.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the main reasons why TikTok drafts may become unretrievable and provide tips on how to avoid losing draft videos in the future.
Checking Your Drafts Folder
The easiest way to find your TikTok drafts is to go directly to the Drafts folder in the app. This is where all of your unfinished and saved videos are stored. To access it:
On iOS: Tap the “Inbox” icon on the bottom toolbar, then tap “Drafts” at the top-left corner of the screen.
On Android: Tap the profile icon, then tap the menu button (3 lines) at the top-right. Select “Drafts” from the menu.
Once in the Drafts folder, you’ll see thumbnail previews of all your draft videos. Tap any video to open it and continue editing.
If you can’t find your draft in here, it likely has been deleted. Check the rest of this guide for reasons drafts disappear and how to avoid losing them.
Sources:
https://www.wikihow.com/Access-Drafts-on-Tiktok
https://screenrant.com/tiktok-video-drafts-save-find-location-disappear-missing-explained/
Drafts Get Deleted Automatically
TikTok automatically deletes draft videos after 30 days of inactivity. This means if you don’t open and edit a draft within 30 days, TikTok will permanently delete it from your account. There is no way to recover a video draft once TikTok removes it.
According to TikTok’s support page, “Draft videos that haven’t been edited for 30 days are deleted automatically.” The 30-day timer resets whenever you open and make changes to a draft. But if you just leave a draft sitting there untouched for a month, it will get cleared out of your Drafts folder. TikTok does this to save storage space.
One workaround is to periodically open all your drafts and make a minor edit, which resets the 30-day timer. You can also download a copy of important drafts to your camera roll so you have a backup if TikTok deletes them. Overall though, it’s best not to leave drafts unfinished for too long on TikTok if you want to keep them.
Drafts Limit
TikTok only saves a certain number of drafts before automatically deleting older ones to make room for new drafts. According to StreamLadder, TikTok has a limit of keeping only the 50 most recent drafts stored at one time.
Once you’ve reached the 50 draft limit, when you save a new draft, TikTok will delete the oldest saved draft to make room for the new one. This auto-delete happens in the background without any notification to the user. So you may not realize an older draft has been removed until you go to access it and find it missing from your drafts folder.
To avoid losing drafts due to the limit, try to regularly review and publish your drafts instead of letting them accumulate. You can also download drafts you want to save before they potentially get auto-deleted.
Clearing Cache/Data
One common troubleshooting step for a variety of app issues is to clear the cache and/or app data. However, this can sometimes result in draft videos being deleted as well. When you clear the cache and data for TikTok, it resets the app back to its default settings and deletes any temporary files or saved information. This means any draft videos that were saved locally on your device will be removed in the process.
According to sources like How To Reset TikTok Algorithm In 2024?, clearing the TikTok cache will delete any draft videos you have saved. So if you’ve cleared your TikTok cache recently and now can’t find a draft, unfortunately it was likely deleted. Always make sure to save drafts you want to keep before clearing app data.
Device Storage Full
One common reason TikTok drafts fail to save or go missing is if your device runs out of available storage space. TikTok requires free space on your phone’s internal storage in order to save draft videos. If your phone is low on memory, TikTok may not be able to save new drafts.
Check your phone’s storage settings to see how much free space is available. If your phone’s storage is nearly full, try clearing space by removing unneeded apps, photos, downloads and clearing cached/temporary data. Freeing up more available storage can help ensure TikTok is able to properly save draft videos going forward.
According to WikiHow, “Your device needs free storage space to save TikTok drafts. If your phone is low on memory, TikTok can’t save new drafts.” [1]
App Crashes or Force Closes
One common reason why TikTok drafts may disappear is due to the app crashing or force closing before the draft is properly saved. When the TikTok app crashes or force closes unexpectedly, any unsaved drafts can be lost in the process.
As per this Reddit thread (source), app crashes and instability with the TikTok editor can result in drafts not being saved properly. If the app crashes repeatedly while working on a draft, the draft may fail to save and can disappear as a result.
To avoid losing drafts this way, it’s recommended to save your drafts frequently, especially if the app seems unstable. You can also try restarting your device and reopening TikTok to see if your draft reappears. However, app crashes and instability can still result in lost drafts in some cases.
Update or Reinstall the App
Updating the TikTok app or reinstalling it can sometimes erase any draft videos or posts you had saved in the app. When the app is updated or reinstalled, the local data and cache on your device gets wiped, including unsaved drafts. According to MakeUseOf, “Unfortunately, there is no way to recover deleted drafts other than recreating them and finding the original videos. You should switch your phone’s auto-update settings off for apps like TikTok where drafts matter.”
So if you have important drafts in TikTok that you don’t want to lose, it’s best to avoid updating the app until you’ve posted the drafts. You can also manually back up your drafts outside of the app as a precaution. But if you do update or reinstall TikTok and lose drafts in the process, they will be gone for good.
Sources:
https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-recover-tiktok-drafts/
Contact TikTok Support
If you are still unable to locate your draft after trying the troubleshooting tips, you may need to reach out to TikTok Support for additional help.
TikTok does not offer phone support, but you can contact them through the following methods:
- Twitter – Message @TikTokSupport for help recovering your draft or account.
- In-app support form – Open the TikTok app, go to your profile, tap the 3-dot menu, choose Report a Problem, select the issue category and follow the prompts.
- Web support form – Visit TikTok’s support page and select the issue category to open a support ticket.
- Email – Send an email to [email protected] or [email protected] depending on the issue. Expect slower response times via email.
When contacting TikTok Support provide as many details as possible, such as your username, draft content, and what troubleshooting you’ve tried. Support can investigate missing draft issues, but cannot always recover lost content.
Tips to Avoid Losing Drafts
Here are some best practices for saving TikTok drafts successfully:
- Save drafts frequently – Don’t create long videos in one go without saving. Save drafts every few minutes.
- Post drafts when complete – Once your draft is ready to post, publish it right away instead of leaving it in drafts.
- Limit the number of drafts – Having too many unfinished drafts increases the chance of losing some. Try to limit drafts and finish them sooner.
- Update the app regularly – App updates often fix bugs that can cause drafts to disappear. Keep the TikTok app up-to-date.
- Back up your phone – Back up your device and TikTok data in case anything happens to your phone. This provides a safety net for drafts.
- Log out before closing the app – Properly log out of TikTok before exiting to make sure drafts are saved.
- Check drafts folder – Periodically review your drafts folder and delete old unused drafts.
Following these tips will help ensure your TikTok drafts are saved properly so you don’t lose your hard work.
