TikTok Drafts: How To Delete, Edit And Manage

Jul 13, 2023 10 min read

Are your TikTok drafts piling up like a treasure trove of untapped potential? We feel you! When creating content on TikTok, either for your own profile or a brand, it's normal to clutter your drafts section with a mixed bag of false starts, bad takes, and unwanted scenes.

This can, over time, choke up your phone storage, making it difficult for you to manage your TikTok draft section properly. Sometimes you can also mistakenly end up deleting a masterpiece leading to an unwanted hassle.

We clearly don't want this to happen to you, which is why in this blog, we will let you know not only to declutter your TikTok draft section but also to edit and manage it like a pro without any hassle.

We'll walk you through the ins and outs of deleting, editing, and managing your TikTok drafts, besides leveraging it to drastically improve your TikTok marketing initiatives.

Understanding TikTok Drafts

Yes, yes, we know that you know what a TikTok draft is! Besides being the unpublished content that allows you to edit and preview them, there’s more to understanding the functionality of TikTok drafts. And we are here just to highlight that.

  • TikTok drafts aren't just for individual users; they hold tremendous value for businesses, agencies, and content creators alike. Imagine having an in-app post-approval process where drafts act as a bridge between your creative team and clients. They can review and manually approve posts, ensuring complete control over their brand's presence.

  • Plus, drafts provide a safety net, preventing accidental violations of TikTok's guidelines and protecting your brand's reputation.

  • But it doesn't stop there. Drafts empower you to craft more elaborate content, allowing you to experiment and refine your videos at your own pace.

  • By creating and saving drafts in advance, you can also effortlessly maintain a consistent flow of fresh content for your followers.

So, whether you're a seasoned TikTok creator or just starting your journey, clearly understanding the functionality of TikTok drafts will let you leverage it effectively for strategic content planning.

Steps For Deleting TikTok Drafts

Taking time out and clearing the accumulated TikTok draft is essential if you want a clean and easily manageable profile. Clearing drafts is a good habit for your client or personal purpose as it also keeps your phone storage organized. Deleting drafts on TikTok is simple. You can do this with just a few taps, whether you have an iPhone or Android device.

Note: You cannot access the drafts section from your desktop system. As of now, it's only available for mobile devices (iPhones, iPad, or Android devices).

To delete TikTok drafts, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the TikTok app on your mobile device and log in to your account if necessary.

Step 2: Tap on the profile icon located at the bottom right corner(mobile) or top right-hand corner of the desktop screen to access your profile.

view-profile-on-tiktok

Step 3: On your profile page, look for the "Drafts" button. It is usually located below your profile picture and bio information.

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Step 4: Tap on the "Drafts" button to enter the drafts section.

Step 5: In the drafts section, you will see a list of all your saved drafts. Browse through the drafts to find the one you want to delete.

Step 6: Select the draft you want to delete and click the delete option below. If you have an iPhone, you can quickly choose all your drafts for deletion by tapping “Select All.” However, this option is unavailable on Android. You need to tap each video to delete them.

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Step 7: Tap on the delete icon to confirm the deletion of the draft. A pop-up message may appear, asking you to confirm the action. Select "Delete" or "Confirm" to proceed.

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The draft will be permanently deleted from your TikTok account. You will no longer be able to recover it once deleted. Repeat these steps for any other drafts you want to remove from your account.

Remember, deleting a draft is irreversible, so ensure you are certain about deleting it before proceeding. It's also a good practice to regularly review and delete unnecessary drafts to keep your drafts section organized.

Steps For Editing TikTok Drafts

Many of you might be wondering whether it is possible to continue editing your videos while saved as drafts on TikTok. Well, yes, it is! While it might be a little trickier for beginners to edit a draft on TikTok, especially while adding more clips, once you get the hang of it, it's as easy as a breeze.

Tip: You cannot edit a TikTok draft once it's published. So ensure to make all the edits while it's already in the drafts section.

To edit TikTok drafts, follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap on the "Drafts" button to enter the drafts section.

Step 2: In the drafts section, browse through the drafts to find the one you want to edit.

find-the-drafts-to-edit

Step 3: Once you have identified the draft you wish to edit, tap on it to open and preview it.

Step 4: On the preview screen, you will see various editing options and icons.

To make changes to the draft, tap on the editing icons such as:

  • Trim: Use the trim icon to adjust the length of the video. Drag the handles at the edges of the timeline to shorten or extend the duration.

  • Effects: Explore different effects like filters, stickers, text, or overlays. Tap on the relevant icon to access the effects library and apply them to your draft.

  • Sounds: Tap on the sound icon to add or change the background music or audio for your draft. You can choose from TikTok's vast sound library or upload your own.

  • Text and Captions: Use the text icon to add text or captions to your draft. Customize the font, color, and position of the text as desired.

  • Transitions: Some drafts may benefit from adding smooth transitions between clips. Look for the transition icon and experiment with different options.

  • Adjustments: Explore options like brightness, contrast, saturation, or other video adjustments to enhance the visual quality of your draft.

make-adjustments

Make the desired changes to the draft using the available editing features. Preview the draft as you make edits to see how it looks.

Step 5: To add more clips to your draft, click the back arrow at the top left-hand corner and start recording to your desired length. Once done, click on the red tick beside the recording button.

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Step 6: Once you are satisfied with the edits, tap on the "Save" or "Done" button to apply the changes and save the edited draft or upload the same.

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The edited draft will be updated in your drafts section, and you can further review and make additional edits if needed. Repeat these steps for any other drafts you want to edit and customize.

Remember to save your progress regularly while editing drafts to avoid losing any changes. Take your time to experiment with different editing options to create compelling and engaging content.

Steps For Managing TikTok Drafts Effectively

Managing TikTok drafts effectively involves organizing, categorizing, and prioritizing your drafts for easy retrieval and optimal content creation. Here are detailed steps to manage TikTok drafts effectively:

Step 1: Evaluate Your TikTok Drafts

Start by reviewing your existing drafts to assess their quality, relevance, and potential for completion. Identify drafts that align with your content strategy and prioritize those with the most potential. Then categorize them based on the theme of your content. For example, you can have categories like comedy, beauty, educational, challenges, etc. This will help you easily locate drafts belonging to specific themes when needed and make changes to them accordingly.

Step 2: Schedule TikTok Drafts At Optimal Times

Scheduling TikTok drafts at optimal times is crucial for maximizing visibility and engagement. Start by identifying peak hours when your target audience is most active on the platform. You can take the help of TikTok Analytics or Statusbrew to determine the best times to post on TikTok based on your followers' demographics and engagement patterns.

choose-the-best-to-schedule

And if you want to schedule TikTok posts in advance, we can also closely help you with that. With our latest update, you can now schedule TikTok videos directly from Statusbrew, saving you a lot of time and hassle. No more notifications to manage or inconvenient apps to install. With our comprehensive suite, you can reach your audience at the perfect moment besides managing your TikTok profiles.

So, we would suggest skipping waiting any further and building a posting schedule that aligns with your audience’s usage directly from our iOS and Android apps.

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Step 3: Utilize Hashtags Or Labels

use-hashtags-and-labels

Hashtags and labels are your secret weapons that make your content discoverable for the right audience. Hence, it's absolutely imperative to level up your hashtag research strategy before posting your TikTok draft. As TikTok hashtags make your content more searchable and discoverable, it has the potential to improve the chances of getting clicks and engagement on the platform. You can use general tags like #Inspirational, #DIY, or specific tags related to your niche or style. This way, you can quickly search for drafts with specific tags and stay organized.

Step 4: Polish Your TikTok Video Captions

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TikTok drafts give you the opportunity to change and refine your video captions/ quotes before launching them on your “For You Page.” Well-crafted captions can grab attention, enhance storytelling, and even spark a laugh. Keep it concise and snappy, as TikTok is all about quick consumption. A polished caption can not only elevate your video but also encourage interaction and leave a lasting impression. And while being at it, if you are confused about what quotes to select as your next travel vlog caption, check out the blog on 200+ Best TikTok Quotes Of 2023 to get inspired from!

Step 5: Backup TikTok Drafts Externally

As an additional precaution, consider backing up your drafts externally. You can save them to your device's storage or upload them to cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox. This ensures that even if something happens to your TikTok account, you still have access to your drafts.

Besides this, you can also automatically download offline copies of your TikTok videos while editing them.

  • Just click on the post editor and tap ‘More options.’
  • On the “More options” page, click on the ‘Save to device’ toggle.

save-your-draft

Your TikTok will get automatically saved to your device’s gallery, very similar to Instagram’s functionality.

So, stay organized! Make it a habit to maintain a well-structured draft section and dedicate some time each week to review, categorize, and optimize them. This proactive approach will save you time and make your content creation process more efficient.

5 Mistakes To Skip To Manage TikTok Drafts Seamlessly

Managing TikTok drafts can be a breeze when you know what to avoid. Here are some common mistakes to skip while managing your TikTok drafts:

5-mistakes-to-skip-to-manage-tiktok-drafts-seamlessly

1. Holding On To Irrelevant Drafts: It's essential to regularly review and delete drafts that no longer align with your content strategy or are no longer relevant. Holding onto unnecessary drafts will only create confusion and hinder your creative process.

2. Forgetting To Save Progress: Always save your progress as you make edits to your drafts. Technical glitches or accidental exits from the app could result in losing your changes if you haven't saved regularly.

3. Check Before Posting: Just because it’s in your drafts; it simply doesn't mean that you will post without a review. Check the audio, take the time to edit, and make your TikTok videos perfect before you put them out for the world to see.

4. Secure Your Login Details: Keep your sensitive details safe, as the TikTok drafts section can be accessed by anyone having your account info. For safety, after creating a draft, set the “View” settings to “Only me” to get sole access to the content.

keep-your-draft-private

5. Don't Use Copyrighted Material: If you are a regular TikTok user, you must know that the platform is very strict about copyright infringement issues. To avoid getting suspended or kicked off the platform, skip using copyrighted material without permission.

Thus avoiding these simple yet common mistakes can help you dodge unnecessary hassles and effectively manage your TikTok drafts section without much effort.

Drafting Your Way To Tiktok

The faster you gauge the benefits of TikTok drafts, the better you can leverage them for your purpose. And by now, we are sure that you must have got a comprehensive idea of how to delete, edit and manage your TikTok drafts for a decluttered creative space. It frees you from unnecessary baggage so that you can add those last-moment final touches that make your videos shine. So, go ahead and navigate your content library with ease, empowered with this simple guide.

Statusbrew is an all-in-one social media management tool that supports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, and even Google My Business.

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Ahana Basu

Ahana Basu, a content writer at Statusbrew, transforms ideas into captivating narratives. Besides writing, she loves exploring cuisines, powerlifting, drawing, and jamming to classical music.

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