How to post a TikTok Story

Stories are photos and videos that stay visible for 24 hours. People can see them from your profile, the inbox, and the For You and Following feeds, and can reply to or react to them.

To keep a Story for longer than 24 hours, save it to your profile in a Highlight.

Source: TikTok Support: TikTok Stories, checked 15 October 2026

From the camera:

1. In the TikTok app, tap Add post + at the bottom.
2. Tap Story below the Record button.
3. Select Photo, Text or a video time limit.
4. Take a photo, record a video, type your text, or tap Upload to add a photo or video from your device.
5. Add a filter, sound, text or stickers. Videos also get the advanced editing tools.
6. Tap Your Story to post.

• Shortcut: tap your profile photo at the top of your Following feed, inbox or profile, upload or record, then tap Your Story.

Source: TikTok Support: TikTok Stories, checked 15 October 2026

TikTok shows both the total view count and the accounts that watched:

1. Tap your profile photo at the top of your Following feed, inbox or profile.
2. Go to the Story. The total views show at the bottom.
3. Swipe up to see who viewed it.

• To delete a Story: open it, swipe up, tap Delete and confirm. Or tap the Share button at the bottom, then Delete.
• Replies to your Story arrive as direct messages, so your direct message settings control who can reply.

Source: TikTok Support: TikTok Stories, checked 15 October 2026

Highlights save Stories to your profile so they last beyond 24 hours. Each Highlight gets a name and cover image.

1. In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
2. Tap the Create Story Highlights button.
3. Select Stories from your Story archive, then tap Add.
4. Choose a cover image, enter a name and publish the Highlight to your profile.

• You can also start from a Story: open it on your profile and tap Create Story Highlights at the bottom.
• To edit or delete a Highlight, press and hold it on your profile, then tap Edit Highlight or Delete Highlight.

Source: TikTok Support: TikTok Stories, checked 15 October 2026

Stories suit quick, low-effort updates that don't need to sit in your main grid. Some ideas:

• Today's specials, stock arrivals or opening hours changes.
• A behind-the-scenes clip from the day, then a Highlight that collects them.
• Reminders that a new video is up, pointing people to the full post.
• Highlights for evergreen info, such as how to order or where to find you.

Source: TikTok Support: TikTok Stories, checked 15 October 2026

If the Story option doesn't appear under the Record button, update the app and try the profile photo shortcut instead.

• A Highlight isn't visible to someone: Highlights follow the visibility settings of the original Story.
• People can't reply: check your direct message settings.
• You want to boost a Story as a Spark Ad: TikTok's Ads Manager doesn't accept Story videos for Spark Ads, so post it as a regular video instead.
• You can't delete a comment you left on a Story: that isn't possible once the Story has expired.

Sources: TikTok Support: TikTok Stories, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Business Help Center: About Spark Ads code error notifications, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Support: Manage comments, checked 15 October 2026

Zolyp, which publishes this guide, is an AI social media manager: it plans, writes, designs and schedules posts for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads, and you approve the week before anything goes out. Stories are quick, in-the-moment posts best made on your phone. Zolyp covers the planned feed posts around them, so Stories can stay spontaneous.