How to Speed Up Video on TikTok (and Slow it Down)
Add visual interest and keep your viewers watching by speeding up or slowing down your videos on TikTok. You’re just a few taps away from pro-level posts!
Creators who find success on TikTok have one thing in common: they do a great job of holding their viewers’ attention to keep them from scrolling away.
If you’re getting started with TikTok or looking to improve your results, your goal should be to post videos that are well-paced and engaging all the way through.
One way to do this is by playing around with the speed of your videos. You can speed up sections that are less interesting to watch, while slowing down sections you want to emphasize.
For example, if you’re posting a cooking video, instead of asking your viewers to spend 45 seconds watching you chop potatoes, you can speed up the video and show the process in just 3-4 seconds. On the other hand, if you’re posting a video of your dog catching a frisbee, it might be a good idea to slow down the moment when he or she jumps up to grab it—this will reveal details we don’t ever get to see in real life because they happen too quickly.
You can speed up or slow down videos in the TikTok editor in one of two ways: before you start recording or after you’ve recorded or uploaded a video. Both methods are easy to follow and require just a few steps.
Video speed is just the beginning. Learn the TikTok basics in this insightful crash course.
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How to Speed Up a Video on TikTok Before Recording
Start by opening up the TikTok app and pressing the plus sign to create a new video. Then, follow the steps below:
- Press the Speed button on the right side of the screen.
- A bar will appear, where you can choose the new speed of your video. You can speed up your video to 2x or 3x speed.
- Press the Speed button again to hide the bar.
- Start recording your video as you normally would. What you’ll see on screen as you record will still be in real-time, but you’ll notice that the clock that shows the length of the recording will move much slower. For example, if you choose 2x speed, you could record for 10 seconds, but the clock will show that your recording is only 5 seconds long.

How to Speed Up a Video on TikTok After Recording
You may not always know which parts of your video you want to be sped up, and by how much, until you’ve recorded it. Luckily, you can also adjust the speed of your video after recording. In fact, for most videos, this tends to be a better option because it offers a lot more flexibility. Doing it this way gives you more control over which sections you can speed up and provides a wider range of speeds to choose from.
Start by recording your video or uploading one from your phone’s camera roll. When you get to the editing stage, do the following:
- Press the Clip editor button in the top right corner of the screen.
- If you want to speed up the entire video, simply press on the clip to open up more options. If you want to speed up a small section, press on the clip and use the Split button to split it into smaller clips. Then, press on the small clip you want to adjust.
- Press the Speed button.
- A bar will appear, ranging from 0.1x to 10x speed. Choose your new speed and press Save.

How to Slow Down a Video on TikTok
Good news! Slowing down a TikTok video is just as easy as speeding it up. And it’s all done in the same place, too.
If you’d like to select a slower speed before you start recording, simply use the Speed button and choose 0.5x or 0.3x speed.
If you’d like to slow down specific clips after you’ve recorded or uploaded a video, head to the Clip editor and use the Speed slider to choose anything between 1x and 0.1x speed.
Get Creative with Your TikToks
Once you’ve mastered how to speed up and slow down videos on TikTok, you can do either (or both) to add visual interest, hold your viewers’ attention and keep them coming back for more. It’s an editing technique that can help elevate any video, regardless of your niche or TikTok marketing strategy. Whether you’re a seasoned creator or you’re just thinking about uploading your first TikTok, playing around with the speed of your videos is guaranteed to make them stand out and help you grow on the platform.
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