How to schedule TikTok posts on mobile and desktop

Want to plan your content ahead of time and have it go live when your audience is most active? Sounds like you need to learn how to schedule TikTok posts (yes, you can do it on mobile and desktop).

A TikTok scheduler is perfect for anyone who wants to post content consistently but also has other things going on with their day or maybe even dares to dream about going on vacation occasionally.

Luckily, there are a few tools you can use to get your content out there and seen by the people who matter most, even when you’re sipping a Mai Tai by the pool.

So what are you waiting for? Read on to find out three different ways to schedule TikToks in 2024.

How to schedule TikTok posts up to 10 days in advance

…with TikTok’s Video Scheduler

Looking for a free TikTok scheduler? We’ve got you covered.

Step 1: Log in to TikTok on your desktop

Currently, you can’t schedule TikTok posts via the TikTok mobile app. You’ll need to log in to your TikTok account via a web browser to do any scheduling.

Log into your account at TikTok.com, then tap the Upload button by the search bar at the top.

Step 2: Upload your video

Click the Select File button to choose your video. It can be up to 10 minutes long and needs to be less than 10GB and 720-1280 resolution or higher.

(Here’s a cheat sheet to specs for all social media content, in case that’s helpful!)

Step 3: Add a caption and adjust upload details

Once you’ve uploaded your video, you can add a description, hashtags and mentions. You can also change the cover image and privacy settings. (Can everyone watch this video, just your friends, or just you?)

This is also the part of the upload process where you can run a copyright check if necessary. For more options, tap See More to reveal the content disclosure toggle and other advanced settings.

Want to make any edits to the video? Tap the Edit video button to make your tweaks. (Check out our best TikTok hacks article before you get started for optimum results.)

Step 4: Choose your posting time and date

Importantly, you’ll also see the When to Post option. Select Schedule, then tap Allow when the confirmation comes onto the screen.

Change the time and date to your preferred posting. Posts can only be scheduled up to 10 days ahead.

Hit Schedule, and you’re done! Unless, of course, you need to manage your drafts. In that case, navigate to Posts on the left-hand side of the screen.

How to schedule TikTok posts for any time

…using Hootsuite

Can you schedule TikTok videos further in advance? Yup!

You can use Hootsuite to schedule posts for waaay further into the future, using the desktop dashboard or the mobile app.

If you’re worried that you need to use the native app to use trending sounds or kooky green screen effects… don’t be. It’s actually really easy to use awesome editing tools, even if you’re publishing to Hootsuite.

The trick is just to either:

• Make your video in TikTok, then publish it as private (it will save to your phone’s gallery with the watermark) and download it. (You can’t download drafts, unfortunately!)
• Make your video in a third-party app (or even Instagram Reels) and then save it to your phone’s gallery.

Once you’ve got your great vid content ready to go, here’s how to use Hootsuite to get it out into the world.

Scheduling TikToks with Hootsuite via desktop

Step 1: Log in to Hootsuite on your computer

Make sure your TikTok account is connected to Hootsuite. (Here’s how to set that up!) Then, tap Create or Create a post to get started.

Use the drop-down Publish to menu to select your TikTok account.

Step 2: Upload your video and write your caption

In the Content section, drag and drop your video to upload it to Hootsuite (you’ll see a preview on the right-hand side of the screen). Remember, the ideal dimensions for a TikTok video are 1080×1920.

Then, draft your caption and add any tags or hashtags you want. (Hot tip: tap the sparkles icon to get some writing help from OwlyWriter AI.)

Below the Content box, you’ve got some options to toggle on or off here: Do you want to allow comments? How about Duets? Are Stitches welcome? Your TikTok, your choice.

Step 3: Schedule your TikTok post

When everything is perfect, tap the Schedule button.

You can choose your preferred posting date or tap See Recommended Times for Hootsuite’s personalized suggestions.

(Yes, there are universal suggestions for the best time to post to TikTok, but your unique audience will impact the best time for you personally.)

Once you’ve selected your time, just tap the Schedule button and it’s good to go!

If you have any changes you want to make before it goes live, just go to the Hootsuite Planner to view or edit your draft.

Scheduling TikToks with Hootsuite via the mobile app

More attached to your phone than your computer? We get it.

Keep reading to learn how to schedule TikToks on mobile (or watch the video below for a super-fast tutorial).

Step 1: Open the Hootsuite app on your phone

Log into the Hootsuite app. Connect your TikTok account if you haven’t already. Tap Compose from the menu at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2: Upload your video and write your caption

Tap the plus icon next to Select Social Account to choose your TikTok handle.

Write your caption and include any relevant hashtags or usertags. You can also toggle comments, Duets or Stitches on or off here.

At the bottom of the screen, tap the camera or photo icon to film a video or upload one from your camera roll.

Step 3: Autoschedule or custom schedule your TikTok post

Tap Next (top right-hand corner) when you’re ready to schedule, and a menu will pop up with some options:

With Autoschedule, the post will be automatically scheduled for a time that Hootsuite has calculated as the best option.

If you choose Custom Schedule, you can pick the time and date this video will post.

Whatever you pick, tap Planner at the bottom of the screen to view your upcoming posts and edit or change the posting date or time if necessary.

How to optimize your TikTok post schedule

You want to get your videos seen by as many people as possible, right!? (Rhetorical trick question: you wouldn’t be on TikTok otherwise.)

To ensure your scheduled TikTok content has optimum reach, follow these quick tips.

Post when your audience is online

It’s one of those common-sense rules of thumb, but we’re gonna say it anyways: schedule your posts for when your audience is most active.

Just like any social platform, there are good times to post on TikTok, bad times to post on TikTok, and the best times to post on TikTok.

Oour studies show that you should post your TikToks around 2 PM on Thursday for maximum engagement.

(That’s just the Cliffs Notes version, of course. Learn more about the best times to post on TikTok in our complete guide.)

The heatmap above shows good days and times to start with. Still, you’ll want to tweak your personal schedule to account for your specific audience’s behavior.

Get familiar with using analytics (Hootsuite’s Analytics tool is robust and user-friendly—win-win) to learn about your followers’ viewing habits and tailor your timing.

Craft a TikTok content calendar

Content calendars are a social media manager’s best friend. They help you plan your posts in advance so you won’t have to scramble to come up with ideas at the last minute.

Crafting your posts in advance can also prevent spelling or tone mistakes and help you time your content to reach the largest possible audience.

To build a content calendar with TikTok ideas, you can use a template like the ones found in this blog or create your own using a spreadsheet or calendar app.

If you’re building your own content calendar, make sure to fill in all the relevant information for each post, including:

• The date and platform you want the post to be published on
• Any relevant KPIs
• Platform-specific criteria like Stories, Reels, or Feed posts
• A brief description of the content

The more detailed your calendar is, the easier it will be to populate it with content.

Once your calendar is complete, you can start actually executing your plan, building your content on TikTok and using the TikTok scheduler or Hootsuite to publish it at the best time for your audience.

Consider time zones

Time zones matter! If your TikTok uploads are scheduled for Tuesday mornings, but the majority of your audience lives halfway across the world, your hilarious videos might be hours old by the time they roll out of bed and check their phones.

It’s time to head back into analytics (either in TikTok or via our ol’ pal Hootsuite Analytics) to understand when your audience is really online… wherever they might be. Either of these tools will provide you with info on the hours of the day when your followers are most active on TikTok.

To access TikTok’s analytics, go to the menu (top right corner) and tap Business Suite or Creator Tools, and then Analytics.

Here, you can learn about your audience’s behavior and see the views and likes your videos received during different hours of the day.

Use past posts to inform your schedule

When in doubt, review your best-performing posts to see when they were published. Chances are, your audience is more active at those times.

You can use TikTok Analytics to see how individual posts are performing. This includes data on views, likes, comments, and posting times.

Go to the menu and select Business Suite or Creator Tools, then Analytics. From the top menu bar, choose Content and click individual posts to see how they performed.

Check out our guide to TikTok analytics to learn how to analyze your TikTok performance.

Post on TikTok 3–5 times per week

We all know consistency is key when it comes to social media. If you want to build a following on TikTok, you need to post content regularly. But what’s the best way to do that?

While TikTok has recommended posting 1-4 times per day (!), that may not be realistic for everyone. If you’re just getting started, try 3-5 times per week.

In fact, our research shows that most businesses only post on TikTok six times per week.

Yes, the TikTok algorithm can be tricky, but the more consistently you post, the more likely you are to get in front of a larger audience… and that’s where you’ll see what works well.

Post several times per week so that you’re regularly in front of your followers, and track engagement, views and retention time for each video to understand just how effective it is.

The great news is that scheduling tools — whether Hootsuite or TikTok’s native scheduling feature — make it easy to post consistently.

But don’t post for the sake of posting

So yeah, can you schedule posts on TikTok? Absolutely! But now that you have a TikTok scheduler, you may be tempted to schedule large swaths of content all at once. But don’t forget that authenticity is key on TikTok.

Businesses succeeding on TikTok create authentic content that closely aligns with the community and the native TikTok experience.

One way to make sure your videos are top-notch is to keep an eye on the trends. Pay attention to what’s popular on TikTok at the moment, and take advantage of platform-specific features like Duets, Stitches, and music.

That way, when new users discover your content, they’ll be more likely to stick around and engage.

Ready to launch your business into the TikTok marketplace? Check out our guide to using TikTok for business here.

Grow your TikTok presence alongside your other social channels using Hootsuite. Schedule and publish posts for the best times, engage your audience, and measure performance — all from one easy-to-use dashboard. Try it free today.

With files from Hannah Macready and Paige Cooper.

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