TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. The app allows users to create and share short videos, often set to music or with creative effects. One of TikTok’s signature features is its vast library of filters that can be applied to videos with just a tap.
Many users have noticed that TikTok will automatically apply a subtle filter to their videos, even without the user actively selecting one. These automatic filters subtly enhance the look of videos by adjusting factors like color balance, contrast, and skin smoothing. TikTok likely applies these automatic filters as it aligns with the app’s goals of making all videos look visually appealing and consistent when scrolling through the For You feed. The filters also reduce imperfections and flaws, making videos look more polished. This in turn increases the chance of a video getting discovered by the algorithm and going viral.
Popularity of Filters on TikTok
Filters and effects are extremely popular on TikTok. According to statistics from Socialpilot, 64% of TikTok users have tried face filters or lenses.[1] TikTok’s own analytics show that videos with effects applied to them generally receive more engagement and views compared to videos without effects.[2]
Users clearly have a preference for videos that utilize TikTok’s built-in filters and effects. The visual enhancements make videos more appealing and fun to watch. Filters that smooth skin, adjust coloring, or add sparkle effects are common choices. TikTok has leveraged this popularity by making filters and lenses a core part of the TikTok experience.
Sources:
[1] 60+ TikTok Statistics to Boost Your Brand in 2024
[2] Effect Analytics | Learn | TikTok Effect House
Enhancing Visual Appeal
TikTok filters are often used to enhance the visual appeal of videos. As noted by Effect House, “TikTok Effect House is a powerful AR tool that makes it easy to create, publish, and share high-quality augmented effects for TikTok” (https://effecthouse.tiktok.com/). The filters smooth skin, adjust colors, and alter details in a way that improves the appearance of the video.
According to a blog from Iconosquare, “TikTok filters come in four default categories: Portrait, Landscape, Food, and Vibe. Each of the categories comes with different coloring and effects to match the type of content you’re creating” (https://www.iconosquare.com/blog/the-15-tiktok-filters-and-effects-you-want-to-use). The portrait filters in particular are designed to enhance faces and make people look their best.
By improving the aesthetics, TikTok filters help make videos more visually interesting and engaging for viewers. The altered colors, smoothed skin, and added effects create a more appealing look that draws attention.
Trends and Consistency
TikTok’s popularity in part stems from popular filters, effects and trends that sweep through the platform. Using the same filters helps creators fit in with the latest aesthetics and viral sensations. For example, the anime filter that gives an animated look became immensely popular in 2022 according to CyberLink. TikTok curates trending filters like the anime filter on its Trending Filters page, which had over 204 million views. Applying filters that are currently trending can help videos tap into what’s popular at the moment.
Filters also enable TikTok creators to develop a consistent branding and style. Signature filters become part of a creator’s identity. Using the same filter repeatedly makes their content easily recognizable to viewers. The consistency establishes their niche on TikTok. As creators build a following, viewers come to expect and enjoy their signature style of filtered videos.
Reducing Imperfections and Flaws
One of the main reasons TikTok applies a subtle filter to videos by default is to reduce imperfections and flaws. The filters can hide blemishes, poor lighting, shakiness, and other issues that may detract from the video quality. By smoothing out the footage, the filters give videos a more polished, professional look. As social media influencer Amanda Rach Lee notes, “TikTok’s beauty filter makes you look airbrushed in real life. It hides any blemishes, smooths the skin, and makes you look glowy without being overly done” (source). The slight airbrushing effect hides small flaws and makes TikTok creators look their best.
Increasing Discoverability
TikTok’s algorithm favors videos that utilize filters, which can help boost distribution and views. As explained in this article, TikTok’s algorithm filters out content it determines is not relevant to each user. This creates a “filter bubble” where people are only shown content aligned with what they already engage with. Using popular filters ensures videos match what the algorithm thinks users want to see. The algorithm then pushes those videos out more aggressively, helping them go viral faster. Essentially, filters give videos a better chance of being shown to larger audiences. This incentive structure explains why applying filters has become so pervasive on TikTok.
Encouraging Creativity
One of the main reasons TikTok automatically applies filters is to encourage creativity amongst users. TikTok provides a wide variety of filters that give users options to get creative with their videos [1]. Having these filters readily available inspires users to make videos they may not have thought to create or did not have the tools for previously. The filters act as a launching pad for creativity by altering the look and feel of videos. This pushes users to experiment and think outside the box. TikTok recognizes that filters help drive engagement on the platform as users are compelled to try new things. Applying a filter automatically removes some of the barriers to entry for creating unique content. Users can simply record a video then let the filter work its magic to make their video more artistic and visually compelling. Overall, filters give users creative license to make ordinary videos extraordinary.
Business Model
TikTok’s business model relies heavily on advertising revenue, which is closely tied to user engagement. The more time users spend on the platform watching videos, the more ad impressions TikTok can sell. According to TikTok’s own blog, adding branded filters and effects to videos can increase engagement. By automatically adding filters to videos, TikTok encourages users to post more creative and visually appealing content which keeps viewers engaged. This benefits TikTok’s bottom line.
TikTok also introduced a proprietary Inventory Filter to give advertisers more control over the content their ads appear next to. Advertisers want their ads next to popular content that drives engagement. Filtered videos tend to perform better, so TikTok has an incentive to increase the amount of filtered content.
How to Post Without Filters
If you want to post videos without an automatic filter, there are a couple options:
In the TikTok app settings, go to the “Posting and Managing” section. There is an option to toggle “Auto Apply Effects” on or off. Turning this off will prevent TikTok from automatically adding any filters to your videos when you post them (Source).
You can also edit your videos manually before posting using TikTok’s built-in editing tools. Open the video in the editor and adjust settings like brightness, contrast, saturation to get the look you want. This gives you full control over the visual appearance (Source).
So in summary, you can either disable auto filters in the app settings, or manually edit videos before posting to avoid having a filter added automatically.
Conclusion
TikTok’s use of automatic filters on videos is driven by several key factors. Filters enhance videos visually, making them more vibrant and appealing to viewers. They help create a consistent look and feel across the platform that aligns with current aesthetic trends. Filters also reduce imperfections and make people feel more confident posting videos of themselves. Additionally, filters encourage creativity by providing tools for users to easily edit their videos. From a business perspective, automatic filters fit into TikTok’s model of keeping users highly engaged on the app. Applying them helps increase views, shares, and time spent on the platform.
While some users may prefer posting completely unfiltered videos, TikTok seems committed to maintaining automatic filters as part of its brand. The filters act as an equalizer of sorts, making videos look more similar in style. They lower the barrier for posting by enhancing videos with just one click. For the many users embracing TikTok as a creative outlet, filters provide fun options for self-expression. Though not everyone approves, automatic filters look poised to remain an integral part of the TikTok experience.
