Why did my TikTok drafts disappear?

Saving TikTok drafts simplifies the process of editing it later, although there are instances when they might disappear. Here’s everything you need to know.

Social media platform TikTok is known for its short-form videos, and it has a popular feature that allows users to create and save drafts of their videos.

These drafts are stored locally on the user’s device and can be edited or posted at a later time. However, many users have reported instances where their drafts have been mysteriously deleted, leading to confusion and frustration.

If you’ve found some of your TikTok drafts missing from your profile, it could mean a couple of things. Here’s everything you need to know.

Unsplash: Alexander Shatov

Why did TikTok delete my drafts?

There could be several reasons as to why your drafts have been deleted. One common scenario is if you’ve deleted your TikTok app and then reinstalled it. In such cases, all of your previous drafts will be permanently deleted.

This happens because drafts are saved on each specific device rather than being linked to your account. Therefore, uninstalling the app removes all the locally stored data, including your drafts.

Another scenario is switching devices. If you’ve made a draft on your phone and then try to access it from your tablet, you won’t be able to find it. This is because drafts are specific to the device they were created on. They’re not synced across different devices, even if you’re logged into the same account.

TikTok does provide a warning to its users about this. Above your drafted videos, a message pops up saying: “Only you can see your drafts. Uninstalling TikTok will discard all drafts.”

This is an important reminder that if you need to delete and reinstall your app for any reason, you should make sure to save your drafts externally or transfer them to another device beforehand.

If you want to learn more about how to use TikTok, you can check out our other guides here:

How to duet on TikTok | How to Stitch on TikTok | How to go live on TikTok | How to find contacts on TikTok | How to use TikTok Stories | Best time to post on TikTok for more views and likes