How to Edit a Post on TikTok

You hit Post on your latest TikTok masterpiece, and then you see it - a glaring typo in your caption or the wrong tagged user. While platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer forgiving edit buttons, TikTok has always played by a different set of rules. For years, the answer to Can you edit a TikTok after posting? was a frustrating no. But things are changing. Now, you have a small window of opportunity to fix those minor mistakes, and reliable workarounds exist for the major ones. This guide covers exactly what you can and can't edit, how to use the latest features, and the best strategy to fix a video when an edit isn't possible.

The Game-Changer: Using TikTok’s New "Edit Post" Feature

In a long-awaited update, TikTok has begun rolling out an "Edit Post" function that allows creators to make changes to a video that’s already live. However, there’s one major catch: you typically only have seven days from the initial posting date to use it. After that week is up, your options become much more limited. This tool is a lifesaver for correcting small but significant errors without sacrificing your newly earned engagement.

What Can You Change with the "Edit Post" Feature?

This new feature is focused on a post's metadata - the text and tags surrounding the video itself - not the video content. If you're within the 7-day window, you can typically change:

• The Caption/Description: Fix typos, rephrase a sentence, or add a call-to-action you forgot.
• Hashtags: Add, remove, or change the hashtags associated with your video. This is great for jumping on a new trend or optimizing for discoverability.
• @Mentions and Tags: Correctly tag a creator or brand you mentioned in your video.
• Video Cover: You can select a new thumbnail from your video and edit the cover text style and position.
• Location: Add or change the location tag for your post.

It's important to remember that you cannot edit the video or audio itself using this feature. The core video file remains locked.

How to Use the TikTok "Edit Post" Button (Within 7 Days)

If you've posted your video within the last week, follow these simple steps to make a quick fix:

1. Navigate to your profile and tap on the video you want to edit.
2. Tap the three dots (...) on the right-hand side of the screen to open the options menu.
3. Swipe left on the bottom row of icons until you find the "Edit post" icon (it looks like a little pencil and paper). *Note: If you don't see this option, it's likely because your video is more than seven days old or the feature hasn't been rolled out to your account yet.*
4. On the editing screen, you can now modify your caption, hashtags, and cover image.
5. Once you’re finished, tap "Save" to apply the changes. Your video will update immediately without affecting its likes, comments, or views.

Adjusting Privacy and Other Settings on any Post (Old or New)

Even if your seven-day editing window has closed, you still have permanent control over who can see and interact with your content. These aren't content edits, but they are powerful ways to manage your published videos at any time.

Changing a Video’s Privacy Settings

Did you post a video for everyone that you now realize is better suited for just your friends? You can change its audience at any time.

1. Go to the video you want to adjust.
2. Tap the three dots (...) to open the menu.
3. Select "Privacy settings."
4. Under "Who can watch this video," you can switch between Everyone, Friends (mutual followers you follow back), or Only Me (making it private).

Managing Comments, Duets, and Stitches

You also have the power to control how other users interact with your video. In the same "Privacy settings" menu, you can toggle permissions for:

• Comments: Turn them on or off completely.
• Duets: Allow or disallow others from using your video in a Duet.
• Stitches: Allow or disallow others from making a Stitch with your video.
• Stickers: Allow or disallow others to create stickers with video clips from your video.

This is an effective way to "edit" a post's public life, especially if a video begins receiving unwanted attention or you simply want to close down the lines of engagement for a specific piece of content.

When You Can't Edit: Your Best Workaround for Big Mistakes

So what happens if you spot an error in the video itself? A typo in a text overlay, a clip left in by mistake, or the wrong sound clip? In these cases, the "Edit post" button won't help. Your only real solution is to delete the original video and re-upload a corrected version. While effective, this move comes with a major trade-off: you will lose all existing likes, comments, shares, and views. The new post will start from zero.

If the error is significant and you’ve decided the re-upload is worth it, here's how to do it properly.

Step 1: Save Your Existing Video

First, you'll need a copy of the video on your device. TikTok makes this easy.

1. Go to the live video on your profile.
2. Tap the three dots (...) to open the menu.
3. Select "Save video." This will download the video to your phone's camera roll.

Be aware that this method saves the video with the TikTok watermark on it. For the future, a great habit to adopt is saving your final edited video to your device from the last editing screen *before* you hit "Post." This gives you a clean, watermark-free backup from the start.

Step 2: Delete the Original TikTok

Before you upload the corrected version, get rid of the old one to avoid confusion.

1. Navigate back to the original video.
2. Tap the three dots (...) one more time.
3. Swipe left on the bottom row of options and tap the "Delete" button (the trash can icon).
4. Confirm your choice by tapping "Delete" again. The video and all its engagement data will be permanently removed.

Step 3: Make Your Edits (Properly This Time)

Since your video is now just a standard video file on your phone, you probably won't be able to re-edit it within TikTok's editor. You’ll need a third-party application if you want to cleanly reverse any in-app features since TikTok-provided graphics and audio are baked right into the videos themselves. It's often easiest to remake the video fresh within TikTok.

Step 4: Re-upload, Optimize, and Post Again

Now, simply go through the normal upload process in TikTok. Select the corrected video file from your camera roll, and then take the opportunity to perfect everything you couldn’t change before:

• Write a fresh, typo-free caption.
• Add your optimized hashtags and mentions.
• Select the perfect cover image.
• Tag the correct location.
• Choose your privacy and comment settings.

Finally, hit "Post" and your new-and-improved video will be live.

Prevention is the Best Medicine: A Pre-Post Checklist

While knowing how to fix mistakes is useful, the best strategy is always to avoid making them in the first place. Incorporating a quick checklist into your workflow can save you the headache of deleting and re-uploading.

• Proofread Everything Twice. Read your caption and all on-screen text overlays out loud. This simple step helps you catch awkward phrasing and typos your brain might otherwise skim over.
• Use the Drafts Folder. Instead of posting immediately, save videos to your drafts folder. Come back to it a few minutes (or hours) later with fresh eyes. It’s amazing what you’ll notice on the second look.
• Get a Second Opinion. If you're part of a team or have a trusted creator friend, send them a screen recording of the final preview for a quick check. An extra set of eyes can catch mistakes you're too close to see.
• Double-Check Your Tags. Is '@brandname' the correct authentic handle, or just a great fan account you stumbled on? A quick lookup about the brand will solve that question if you are not sure. Taking an extra 30 seconds to confirm tags and mentions before posting is always worth it.
• Confirm Your Audio Choice. Is the sound you selected the correct clip everybody is using in a trending TikTok format, and does it match the vibe and intention of your video to grab your audience's attention? Click the sound source to confirm before finishing your edit so you don't send your viewers a mixed message about your creation.

Final Thoughts

TikTok is finally giving creators more control over their content with its limited 7-day "Edit Post" feature for captions and metadata. For larger issues with the video file itself, the "save and re-upload" method is your reliable, if imperfect, plan B, trading original engagement for a corrected final product. At the end of the day, developing a sharp pre-post checklist is the best trick all professional creators learn in time to avoid mistakes in the first place and avoid having to make big decisions on the fly with TikTok's still fairly unforgiving editorial features.

Planning your content is half the battle for any creator looking to avoid these easy-to-spot mistakes. Using a visual content management tool makes the process of creating a full month's worth of TikToks much easier and less prone to errors. We built Postbase to streamline your content scheduling workflow. You can organize your TikTok schedule for the month, write and review your captions in advance, and our visual calendar allows you to view and approve an entire month's worth of content at a glance to ensure it’s mistake-free every time.