You can build a TikTok effect on your phone with the mobile effect editor. In the app, tap Add post +, then Effects, scroll across to Create and tap Create effect. Mix effect types such as Make-up, Stickers or Green Screen, tap Done, name it and send it for review. It only goes public once approved.
Where the effect editor hides
TikTok calls it the mobile effect editor, a tool built into the app for creators to make their own personalised effects. You don't need a computer or a separate program for this route. The way in is a few taps deep, so it's easy to miss.
Open the posting screen. Tap Add post +, the button along the bottom of the app.
Go to Effects. Tap the Effects button.
Find Create. Scroll across the options and tap Create, then tap Create effect. That's the editor.
For a full rundown of the effects other people have already made, and how to use them on your own videos, our guide to TikTok effects and filters is the companion to this page.
The build, stage by stage
Once you're in, TikTok's guide to creating effects on mobile sets out the rest. Here's each stage and what it leads to.
| Stage | What you tap | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Pick your ingredients | One or more effect types along the bottom, or Templates | You build from those types, or start from a template |
| Finish editing | Done | You move on to naming it |
| Name it | Effect name | You enter a name to describe the effect |
| Decide | Submit, or Save as draft | It goes for review, or is kept for you to edit later |
| After approval | Nothing | Everyone on TikTok can use it |
The effect types on offer include Make-up, Stickers, Green Screen, Randomiser, Transformation and Visual effects, and the guide also mentions filters. You can choose one type or combine several in one effect.
Template or blank start: which to choose
If this is your first effect, I'd start from a template. The Templates option sits alongside the effect types at the bottom of the editor, and a template gives you a starting point rather than an empty screen.
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Go blank when you already know what you want, say a single sticker for a recurring series. Starting from nothing means you only add the types you need, and the fewer you stack, the easier the effect is to describe in its name.
Submit now or save as a draft
This is the decision that matters most, and the reason is review. Tapping Submit sends the effect off to be checked. Once it's approved, it's available for everyone on TikTok to use, not only you.
So my advice is to save as a draft first unless you're sure. TikTok's guide describes a draft as a way to edit later, so use that pause: come back with fresh eyes, check every layer still earns its place, and read the name as a stranger would. Only submit once you'd be happy seeing it on someone else's video, because after approval it's out there for everyone.
A worked example: an effect for a weekly series
Say you post a tips video every week. Start blank, add a Sticker carrying the series name and a Green Screen layer, then tap Done. Under Effect name, call it something that says exactly what it is, such as the series name plus the word tips, and save it as a draft. Open the draft the next day, take out anything that doesn't fit, and submit it. Two ingredients, one clear job, and a name a stranger can make sense of.
Making an effect people will use
An effect is more useful when it's built around something you post regularly. If you've got a running format, an effect that matches it gives your audience something to use on their own videos once it's approved. Pair it with a sound of your own and you've got a recognisable kit: our guide to making your own sound on TikTok covers that half.
This page covers the editor inside the phone app only. The steps above are the ones TikTok documents for mobile, so if something on your screen doesn't match, check the guide in the app for your version.
