How To Get Story Mode on TikTok: A New Way To Engage

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Carolyn Howell

Last Updated: Jan 29, 2024

TikTok 101

Want More Real Tiktok Followers?

Everyone on TikTok has favorite creators they want to keep tabs on constantly. For fans of top TikTok influencers, their TikTok routine is not complete unless they’re up-to-date on these stars’ day-to-day lives. Are you still building an active following, or do you want to sustain high engagement? It’s time to learn how to get Story mode on TikTok.  

What Is Story Mode on TikTok?

What is Story mode on TikTok? Stories on TikTok are 15-second video clips that allow creators to share brief glimpses of their daily lives. Their key features are as follows:

  • A Story can be up to 15 seconds long
  • It expires 24 hours after posting. 
  • It doesn’t appear on feeds; instead, a viewer has to tap on the creator’s profile image to watch their Story. 
  • Because the video is extremely short, it’s often more authentic as there’s minimal to zero editing. 
  • TikTok Stories are only available to the creator’s followers or friends, depending on their preferred privacy settings.
  • Creators can post multiple Stories each day. 
  • Comments on a TikTok Story are available to everyone who can view the Story.  

Should you start sharing Stories on TikTok? What are the benefits of knowing how to do Story mode on TikTok?

 Three girls laugh while watching TikTok Stories on a phone.

How To Do Story Mode on Tik Tok

Are you ready to share closer insights into your life with your fans through Stories? Are you doing something right now that audiences will find interesting or entertaining? Take a few practice 15-second recordings, and then get ready to shoot your first Story. Here’s how!

  1. Launch TikTok, and tap the Create button at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Select 15 seconds for your video from the recording options. Alternatively, you can upload a 15-second video or shorter from your device. You can also upload a single photo. Using two or more images will not work for a TikTok Story.  
  3. Edit your Story as you like. Add Sounds, Effects, and Filters, or explore other camera tools.
  4. If you’re recording using the app, start your video by pressing the Record button. If you want to take a picture, tap the Photo button on the screen.
  5. Keep editing your content as you like.
  6. Tap Settings in the upper right to edit your Story’s privacy. Select who can view your Story and whether or not to allow comments. 
  7. Tap Your Story.

Two men sit on the grass while watching videos on a phone.

How To Get Story Mode Back on TikTok

Is the TikTok Story feature not showing up for you? TikTok Story is not a brand-new feature, but it may not be available to everyone. Try the following fixes for how to get Story mode back on TikTok. 

  1. Make sure you have the latest version of the app. Go to the Google Play Store or the App Store. Type TikTok in the search box. If an update is available, tap Update. Go back to TikTok to check if the Story feature is now available. 
  2. If updating the app doesn’t work, try logging out of your account. Go to your Profile > Settings and privacy > Log out. Log back in and create a post to see if the Story feature is available. 
  3. Another solution you can try if the first two above don’t work is uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Find the app on your home screen. Long-press on it, then select Uninstall. Next, go to the Google Play Store or App Store. Type TikTok in the search box, then tap Install

    Sign in to your account and see if the Story feature is now available. Take note that when you uninstall TikTok, you will lose your TikTok drafts. But everything else will remain intact. 

A woman lies on a hammock while watching a makeup tutorial on her laptop.

How To Watch Stories

Unlike Facebook or Instagram, TikTok does not display creators with published Stories at the top of the screen. Followers can only find out that a Story is available when a creator’s avatar has a blue highlight around it. This means they’ll only see the blue Story ring around your profile image when you appear on their feeds. 

To watch a Story from a creator you’re following, just tap on their avatar. Their Story will play automatically. 

It helps to keep your followers updated on your TikTok activities — so they’ll know what to watch out for. Make a video prior to posting a Story to announce that you’ll be sharing one later. A day’s notice should be enough. Remind your fans to watch out for an upcoming post in Stories and how they can watch it. 

You can also post a video after publishing a Story. Ask your followers to watch it before it expires! Another trick is to post Stories regularly so your fans always have something to look forward to. 

Three skateboarders scroll through their cellphones as they take a break on a set of stairs.

How To Get Story Mode on TikTok for an Enhanced Sense of Community

Let me tell you a story. If that got your attention, then you can appreciate the irresistible pull of anecdotes and other fascinating yarns. The ephemeral nature of Stories on social media platforms makes them even more curious and compelling. Audiences need to know what a Story is about before it disappears. And they often have to see a Story as soon as their favorite creator shares one. 

A TikTok Story can be about anything. But, the Storytelling trend continues to lean toward personal types of content. Intimate details about a person’s life almost always make other people want to take a look. What other type of content can you pack into a mere 15 seconds that has the same instant appeal? 

Make sure you have a big viewership to get the most out of your Stories. Sharing insights into your daily life with your community strengthens relationships with fans. They’ll appreciate the intimacy you offer, and they’ll show their appreciation through engagement. 

Knowing how to get Story mode on TikTok gives you another opportunity to connect with your fans. Why not get expert help growing your audience for your Stories and feed videos? Sign up for a High Social plan! Instantly boost your audience-targeting capability with High Social’s advanced proprietary AI technology. Start growing your TikTok today!

TikTok 101