How to Combine Two Draft Videos on TikTok

Ever film the perfect Part 1 of a TikTok video, save it as a draft, go on to film Part 2 separately, and then stare at your phone wondering how on earth to put them together? You’re not alone. While TikTok doesn’t offer a one-tap “merge drafts” button, combining two videos is absolutely possible, and knowing the right techniques opens up a ton of creative possibilities. This guide will walk you through three different methods - from the quick and simple workaround to the pro-level editing workflow - so you can seamlessly combine your video drafts and get your content posted.

Why Combining Drafts Is a Content Creator’s Secret Weapon

Before jumping into the step-by-step instructions, it helps to understand why this skill is so valuable. It’s not just a technical fix for a missing feature, it’s a strategic advantage that allows you to create more compelling and thoughtful content. A lot of the most engaging videos on the platform are the result of combining clips that were recorded at different times.

Level Up Your Storytelling

Many popular TikTok trends rely on a two-part structure. Think "before and after" reveals, "Part 1 / Part 2" story times, or reaction videos where you show a clip first and then your response. By filming these segments separately and combining them later, you give yourself the freedom to get the perfect take for each part without the pressure of nailing a single, continuous recording. This leads to more dynamic storytelling that keeps viewers hooked until the very end.

Create Professional A-Roll and B-Roll Content

In video production, "A-roll" is your main footage (like someone talking to the camera), and "B-roll" is supplementary footage that adds context and visual interest (like shots of a product, a landscape, or an activity). A powerful way to use drafts is to film your main talking points first (A-roll), save it, and then go out and capture your visual examples (B-roll). Combining these clips in the editing process makes your videos look far more polished and professional than a simple talking-head video.

Save Time with Content Batching

Serious creators and social media managers don't create one video at a time - they batch their work. You can film several video intros in one session, save them as drafts, and then record the conclusions or demonstrations later that week. Having a folder full of half-finished video concepts in your drafts allows you to construct and combine them as inspiration strikes, turning your TikTok creation process into an efficient, assembly-line-style workflow instead of a chaotic scramble for daily ideas.

Craft "Day in the Life" Videos Seamlessly

Authentic "day in the life" or vlog-style content often requires capturing small moments throughout the day. Instead of trying to stitch dozens of tiny clips together in the notoriously sensitive TikTok editor, you can record a couple of key moments, save them as drafts, export them, and then combine the best parts into a single, cohesive narrative. This gives you more control over the final product and saves you editing headaches within the app.

Method 1: The Quick Workaround (Screen Recording)

Let's start with the most common and straightforward method. This technique uses your phone's built-in screen recording function to "capture" your first draft, turning it into a new video file that you can use as a base for your second clip. It’s fast and doesn't require extra apps, but it can sometimes result in a minor loss of video quality.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

Step 1: Open Your First Draft

Go to your TikTok profile and tap on the Drafts folder (it's the first box in your video grid). Select the first video you want to use in your combined clip. This will open it in the editor preview.

Step 2: Prepare Your Screen Recorder

Before you do anything else, you need to get your phone’s screen recording function ready.

• On an iPhone: Swipe down from the top-right corner to open the Control Center. The screen record button is a circle within a circle. If you don't see it, go to Settings >, Control Center and add it to your Included Controls.
• On an Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel. You should find the Screen Recorder icon there. If not, you may need to edit your Quick Settings tiles to add it.

Pro Tip: When you activate screen recording, make sure your phone’s microphone is turned off. You only want to capture the video and its internal sound, not any background noise from your environment.

Step 3: Record Your Draft's Preview

Start the screen recording, then quickly switch back to TikTok and play your draft in the full-screen preview. Let the entire video play from start to finish without tapping anything. Once it's over, stop the screen recording. The new clip will now be saved in your phone’s photos or gallery app.

Step 4: Trim the Unwanted Parts

Open your phone's photo gallery and find the screen recording you just made. It will have extra footage at the beginning (when you started the recording) and at the end (when you stopped it). Use your phone’s built-in trim tool to snip these parts off, leaving you with just the clean draft footage. Save this trimmed version.

Step 5: Start a New TikTok and Upload

Head back to the TikTok app and tap the "+" icon to begin a new video. Instead of recording, tap the Upload button on the bottom right. Select your freshly trimmed screen recording from your gallery. It will now be loaded into the TikTok editor as your first clip.

Step 6: Add Your Second Draft

Now, everything works just like you're creating a normal video. You can either:

• Record new footage: Simply press the red record button to add the second part of your video right after the uploaded clip.
• Upload your second clip: If your second draft was also saved to your phone, you can go back to the upload screen and select that file as well.

Step 7: Finalize and Post

With both clips now merged on the timeline, you can proceed as usual. Adjust the timing, add a trending sound, apply effects, write your caption, and post your perfectly combined video for the world to see.

Method 2: The High-Quality Technique (Post Privately)

The screen recording method is great in a pinch, but for those who are particular about video quality, there’s a better way. This technique involves temporarily posting your drafts as private videos. This allows you to save watermark-free, high-resolution versions of your clips to your device, which you can then easily re-upload and combine.

Follow these steps for the best results:

Step 1: Open Draft #1 and Proceed to the Post Screen

Navigate to your TikTok drafts and open the first video. Go through the initial edit screen and tap Next. This will take you to the final screen where you write captions and choose your settings before posting.

Step 2: Change Privacy Settings to "Only Me"

This is the most important step. On the posting screen, find the option for "Who can watch this video" and change it from "Everyone" to "Only Me."

Step 3: Save to Device and Post Privately

Below the privacy settings, you'll see "More options." Tap this and make sure the "Save to device" toggle is switched ON. Now, hit the Post button. Because the video is set to "Only Me," it will publish to your profile but will only be visible to you (it will have a little lock icon on it). Crucially, a high-quality version will also be downloaded directly to your phone's camera roll.

Step 4: Repeat for Draft #2

Go back to your drafts folder and repeat the exact same process for your second draft video. Post it privately with "Save to device" enabled.

Step 5: Combine the Saved Clips in a New TikTok

Now you have clean, high-quality copies of both your draft videos in your phone's gallery.

• Open TikTok and start a new project.
• Tap Upload.
• In your gallery, make sure to enable the "Select multiple" option.
• Tap the videos in the order you want them to appear (Clip 1, then Clip 2).
• Tap Next. TikTok will automatically place them on the timeline, back-to-back.

Step 6: Edit and Post Publicly

Now you have a merged video with the best possible quality. Add your sound, captions, and effects, and post it publicly for your audience. Once it's live, you can go back to your profile and delete the two private videos to keep your feed clean.

Method 3: The Ultimate Control Option (Using a Third-Party Editor)

For creators, brands, and social media managers who demand pixel-perfect control over every transition, cut, and effect, the best workflow happens outside of the TikTok app. Using a mobile video editing app like CapCut (which is made by ByteDance, the same company as TikTok) gives you an incredible amount of power and flexibility.

Here’s the professional workflow:

Step 1: Export Your Drafts to Your Phone

First, you need to get your draft videos out of TikTok and onto your device. Use the "Post Privately" method described above to save high-quality versions of both video clips to your phone's camera roll.

Step 2: Import Clips into a Video Editing App

Download and open a mobile video editor. CapCut is highly recommended because of its deep integration with TikTok, but other great options include InShot or Splice. Start a new project and import the video files you just saved.

Step 3: Edit Like a Pro

This is where you get complete creative freedom. In an app like CapCut, you can:

• Arrange clips on a multi-track timeline.
• Precisely trim each clip to the millisecond.
• Add seamless transitions like fades, wipes, and glitches between your two videos.
• Perform detailed color correction to ensure both clips have a consistent look.
• Overlay text, sound effects, and graphics with granular control.

Step 4: Add Your Sound (The Smart Way)

You have a choice here: you can add your audio directly in CapCut or wait and add a trending sound within TikTok. For maximum reach and discoverability, it's often best to perform your video edits in CapCut without music, export the silent clip, and then add your chosen trending sound when you upload to TikTok. This ensures your video gets properly attached to the sound's discovery page.

Step 5: Export and Upload to TikTok

Once your edit is complete, export the final video from CapCut in the highest quality possible (usually 1080p at 30fps). Then, open TikTok, tap "Upload," select your final, perfectly edited video, and publish it.

Final Thoughts

While TikTok may not give you a direct button to merge drafts, these proven workarounds give you all the power you need to combine clips for more compelling and creative videos. Whether you choose the speedy screen-recording trick, the quality-focused private post method, or a professional external editor, you can now seamlessly stitch together content filmed hours or even days apart, creating deeper stories and a more polished final product.

Mastering these editing techniques helps your content stand out, but building a brand on social media also depends on smart planning and consistency. We built Postbase because managing a busy content calendar, especially one packed with multi-part video ideas and various drafts, can become overwhelming. Having a single visual calendar where we can plan our TikToks, Reels, and Shorts, and schedule them reliably across all our channels, is what helps us turn creative chaos into a smooth, manageable workflow.