How to Remove TikTok Filters in a Few Easy Steps

You don’t usually hear about people who want to remove filters on social media. Generally, users aim to give their photos that “magazine finish” using these tools.

But in an era when celebrities opt for makeup-free in their posts and the “no-filter” look trends, you may want to undo heavy editing. And, in many cases, you’d be out of luck. You can’t take the Valencia filter of the photos from your early days on Instagram nor un-face-tune that selfie you already posted.

On TikTok, however, you live a bit more unfiltered. This app lets you backtrack on a video you’re editing or have saved to drafts, remove filters and make other last-minute tweaks – although the app only permits editing during a few situations.

Here’s all you need to know about how to remove TikTok filters in just a few taps.

Let’s remove filters!

You went overboard with filters on TikTok. Don’t worry – it happens to the best of us. After all, TikTok is like a video-editing candy store. You record in double or triple time with the Speed feature, “beautify” your face and add funky transitions to your videos.

If you’re having second thoughts about your content’s look, quickly revert it to a more stripped-back version before posting it by using the TikTok filter remover in the app.

On other peoples’ videos

If you’re hoping to learn how to remove TikTok filters on someone else's video because you want to see what your favorite celebrity really looks like, you might be disappointed to know you can’t edit this clip. You can’t edit or remove filters from videos posted by other people.

On a published video

Unfortunately, there’s no way you can remove filters on TikTok once you’ve posted a video. The only option is to edit the content and repost a new version. TikTok only permits removing filters from videos before posting them – so think twice before you post.

While making a video

While creating content for TikTok, add and remove filters as much as you please – there’s no need to limit your creativity. Here are a few ways to switch up your edits in the iOS or Android apps.

• Tap Effects on the bottom left-hand side of the screen.
• Select the effect you wish to turn off.
• Turn off the Retouch feature by deselecting the red checkmark next to it. “Beauty Mode OFF” should appear on the screen.
• To remove filters, tap on the corresponding icon and the “Remove” symbol at the top of the pop-up menu.

The video is back to its purest form!

From your drafts

Great news – if a video is still in your drafts, there’s time to remove a filter. This means making all your edits risk-free before deciding how a video will go out into the world. Here’s how to remove a filter from a saved TikTok video.

1. Open the TikTok app.
2. Tap on your profile icon in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
3. Head to your Drafts folder.
4. Select the video you wish to modify.
5. Click the Filter icon on the edit screen to remove a filter from the draft video.
6. Tap the “Remove” symbol to make the filter disappear.
7. Tap anywhere on the video to save your changes, minimizing the filter toolbar.

Use TikTok’s editing power to make better content

Since TikTok lets you decide which edits to keep until the last moment, consider this license to fearlessly explore your creativity on this app. If you don’t like an edit you’ve made, undo it. The platform has a wide range of filming and editing options. Here are a few to make your content stand out.

• Greenscreen: You might be filming clips in your living room, but let the world think you’re on a Parisian street by using the greenscreen feature to swap out your backdrop for an image or GIF. The only rule is to have some fun with this feature.
• Countdown timer: You’ve been practicing the latest dance trend for hours and are now ready to grab a clip of your best attempt. Use the countdown time for a 3- or 10-second lead-in before you start rolling.
• Loops: Loop your videos so viewers can easily watch them over and over. This is an excellent tip for comedic content creators, as followers mostly watch funny sketches on repeat.
• Text-to-speech: This tool adds a robot-like voiceover to videos. The voice (male or female) narrates your clip by reading the text you’ve added.
• Transitions: Splice two video clips together with a seamless transition for a professional-looking touch. Check out other creators’ transition trends for inspiration. One popular trend is snapping – snap your fingers before jump-cutting to a new video.
• Closed captions: Make your videos more inclusive and responsive by using closed captions for viewers who have trouble hearing.
• Music: What’s an epic film without background music? Record or add music to your video using the plus button at the bottom of the screen, hitting Next and clicking the Sounds menu that pops up.
• Overlays: Make a collage by layering images into your video.
• Speed: Speed up or slow down your video. Slo-mo is excellent for comic effects, and fast-forwarding works wonders in tutorials, especially cooking videos.
• Photos: You may think of TikTok as a video app, as most of its content follows this format. But in 2022, the app also made it possible to post photos. So, if your content looks better in a picture than in a video, go for it.

Wrapping up

TikTok is one part fun, one part business. The app is great for watching your favorite content creators’ videos and having a laugh or passing the time, but TikTok is also a major marketing platform.

Become an expert on this app, and learn how to monetize your participation by reading our blog. Find out how to go live, the best times to post, and what all that TikTok-particular lingo and emoji usage means.

At Linktree, we encourage all content creators to focus on filming and leave the multiple platform management to us. Get your hands on the free Linktree URL and shape your social media presence in the most seamless way. Check out how creators such as Bella Poarch, Maya Hawke and Caroline Polacheck use Linktree, and seek inspiration!