Staying consistent on TikTok sounds simple enough. But coming up with video ideas, filming, editing, writing captions, and posting nearly every day? That’s a full-time job — with overtime.
That is, unless you work smart. Scheduling your TikTok videos ahead of time is like unlocking the “easy mode” of consistency — giving you more breathing room and better results.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to schedule TikTok posts (on both desktop and mobile) and help you find the best method for your workflow.
How to schedule TikTok posts on desktop
There are two ways to schedule TikTok videos using your desktop:
- Schedule TikTok posts from your desktop using the TikTok web browser or PC app
- Schedule TikTok posts from your desktop using Buffer
The following sections will guide you through the process step-by-step and help you weigh the pros and cons of each option.
How to schedule TikToks on desktop using the TikTok web browser
TikTok has made it easy to schedule TikTok videos directly from your account on the web browser or the PC app (the process remains the same).
Before getting into the steps, make sure you have a creator or business account on TikTok. You can’t schedule TikTok videos using a personal TikTok account.
Here’s how you can switch to a creator or business profile from a personal TikTok account:
1. Log in to your TikTok account and tap the profile icon.
2. Click on ‘Menu’ and tap ‘Settings and privacy.’
3. Tap ‘Account’ and you’ll find the option to ‘Switch to Business Account.’
Once you’ve done that, here’s how to schedule TikToks from the browser or PC app:
1. Log in to your TikTok account and click on the ‘Upload’ button on the left side menu or the right-hand corner.
2. Upload your TikTok video, write your caption, choose your cover photo, and your location. You also get the option to edit your TikTok video — add music, use TikTok templates, etc. You can also see how your video appears on the feed, on your profile, and on the web.
3. Scroll down to find ‘Settings.’ Here, you can tap the ‘Schedule’ button to schedule your TikTok post in advance. You can choose your preferred time and date. Advanced settings also allow you to select whether everyone can watch your video, whether users can comment/duet/stitch, and disclose branded or AI-generated content.
4. Once your post is scheduled, you’ll find it on your TikTok profile and TikTok Studio.
Now, while native desktop scheduling is pretty neat, it’s not without its disadvantages:
- You can’t schedule posts more than 30 days in advance. This can be a hurdle if you’re a social media manager or a content creator batching content (even a few posts) months in advance.
- You can’t edit anything once the post is scheduled. If you want to make even minor changes to the caption, audio, or scheduled time, you’ll need to delete the scheduled post and re-upload it with the corrections you need.
- You can’t crosspost to other social media platforms. TikTok’s native scheduling only allows you to post on your TikTok account. If you repost the same videos on Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, you can’t schedule them together using this method.
If these drawbacks are a dealbreaker for you, a better option is to use a social media management tool like Buffer as a TikTok scheduler — here’s how to do just that.
How to schedule TikTok videos on desktop using Buffer
Buffer is a super flexible social media management platform. It allows you to posts for months in advance, make any minor edits you need even after scheduling, and crosspost to other social media sites.
Here’s what you need to do before you begin:
1. Convert your personal TikTok account to a business or creator account (if you haven’t already). Scroll up a smidge for a quick guide to doing that.
2. Sign up for Buffer. Buffer’s free-forever plan allows you to connect up to three social media channels (including TikTok). Hello, free TikTok scheduler! 👋
But if you want to use advanced features and add more channels to manage your social media strategy effectively (from one centralized dashboard) all our paid plans have a 14-day free trial.
3. Connect your TikTok account to Buffer. You’ll be prompted to add a new channel as soon as you sign up, but you can also find the ‘Connect TikTok’ button on the bottom left.
⚡️ Pro tip: Log in to your TikTok account from the same browser to make the process super simple. Buffer will automatically choose to connect to the TikTok account already logged in on your desktop browser.
Once you click on ‘Finish connection,’ you’re all set to start scheduling TikTok posts using Buffer.
Once you’ve done the above, setting up your TikTok content calendar in Buffer is easy! There are two ways to schedule TikTok posts on Buffer:
- Automatic publishing: Your videos will be automatically published at your chosen date and time.
- Notification publishing: You’ll get a notification on your phone when it’s time to publish your TikTok content. Tap on that notification to finish posting on the TikTok app.
Notification publishing is an excellent option when you want to add some last touches to your TikTok posts (like trending sounds). You follow the same steps to schedule TikTok content on Buffer, regardless of which route you choose:
1. Click on the ‘+ New’ button at the right-hand corner and choose ‘Post.’
2. Select your TikTok account at the top of the post composer. (You can select more channels here to crosspost your TikTok content elsewhere, too.)
3. Upload your TikTok video and add your caption in the Buffer composer. If you’re in a creative rut, try Buffer’s AI assistant to brainstorm and/or refine your video caption. You also have the option to add relevant TikTok hashtags right from the composer.
Buffer also shows your video preview on the right side so you can see what your TikTok content will look like live. After uploading your video, you can customize your cover image by clicking on ‘Edit Thumbnail’.
4. You’ll find the option to auto-publish at the bottom right corner of the Buffer composer. By default, the option is set to ‘Automatic.’ You can tap and choose ‘Notify Me’ if you want to get a notification when the time comes to post.
5. Click on the ‘Next available’ button to post your video in the next available queue slot. Choose the ‘Prioritize’ option to bump your video to the top of the queue or select the ‘Set Date and Time’ option to choose a specific day and time. Clicking on the ‘Now’ button will post the video right away.
6. If you’ve chosen the ‘Notify Me’ option, you will get a push notification on your phone (remember to enable them if your default setting doesn’t allow push notifications!) when the time comes to post.
Once you tap on it, you’ll be taken to the Buffer composer with the caption and video you added earlier. Double check everything looks good, make any changes you need, and post your TikTok content.
Scheduling via a desktop is a great way to plan TikTok videos in advance. But sometimes, you need the flexibility of scheduling content using your phone.
It’s super handy if you need to schedule a post while you’re on the go, post time-sensitive trending content, or even edit a scheduled post.
The next section will cover two ways to schedule TikTok posts using a mobile device.
How to schedule TikTok posts on mobile
You can schedule TikTok posts using your mobile in two ways:
- Schedule your posts via the TikTok Studio app
- Schedule your posts using Buffer
How to schedule TikTok posts on mobile using the TikTok Studio app
The TikTok mobile app doesn’t allow you to schedule posts (though the feature is in the works — watch this space for more!).
But that doesn’t mean you can’t schedule TikTok posts on your phone — you’ll just need the companion TikTok Studio app for now.
1. Log in to the TikTok Studio app and log in to your TikTok account.
2. Click on the ‘Upload’ button and add your video.
3. You’ll find the option to ‘Schedule post’ where you can select a specific date and time for your post to go live.
⚠️ Note: TikTok Studio mobile app is still a relatively new TikTok scheduler. Many users report unsuccessful attempts.
While the mobile access feature is convenient, try using your browser to schedule content as much as possible. If you use the mobile app, be sure to create backups for your scheduled content to avoid losing edits, captions, and other important details.
Want a more reliable way to schedule TikTok posts from mobile? Use the Buffer mobile app.
How to schedule TikTok posts on mobile using Buffer
Here’s how you can use the Buffer mobile app as a TikTok scheduler:
1. Log in with your Buffer account and click on ‘Create’ or the ‘+’ icon at the bottom center.
2. Upload your video, write your caption, edit the thumbnail, and add relevant hashtags. You can also choose between auto-publish and notification publish here.
3. Click on ‘Next’ and find similar options to schedule your post for a specific time, add/prioritize it in your queue, or share it right now.
Using Buffer (or other TikTok scheduling tools) is often a more productive way to schedule posts across platforms. Here’s why:
- You can see all your posts in a centralized dashboard. Viewing all your posts visually across a calendar helps you spot gaps in your schedule and post consistently. Native scheduling doesn’t offer this view. Plus, Buffer also serves as your TikTok content calendar. It can help you stay on top of multiple TikTok accounts and other social media platforms, too.
- You can manage multiple accounts at once. You can manage multiple TikTok accounts (or multiple accounts across other platforms) using a social media management tool. This isn’t possible with native scheduling, where your post is tied to one account and you can’t crosspost to other social media sites, like Instagram or YouTube.
- You can work collaboratively with social media teams. Many scheduling tools allow you to add your team members so you can work together to create and maintain your content calendar. You can’t add a social media team using native scheduling features.
3 best practices for scheduling TikTok posts
Here are some TikTok scheduling best practices you can follow to ensure your posts get the maximum reach:
1. Post when your audience is online
Your TikTok analytics can do more than help you keep an eye on your TikTok performance — it can help you understand when your target audience is the most active, too.
Scheduling your TikTok posts for the periods your audience is most active is a must. The more of your followers are online, the more engagement your content is likely to get (and the better your chances of showing up in more FYPs!).
If you’re new to TikTok, you might not have this data handy in your TikTok analytics just yet — which is why we did a little digging into Buffer data.
Our study of over one million TikTok posts found the best time to post on TikTok is Sunday at 8 p.m., followed by Tuesday at 4 p.m., and Wednesday at 5 p.m.
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Social media is a two-way street. Engage with your audience using TikTok comments once your posts go live. This will also improve the reach of your post as the TikTok algorithm loves early engagement.
3. Double-check video formatting
Your scheduled videos or carousels must follow TikTok’s video specs (vertical format, up to 10 mins, under 10GB). This ensures no content that doesn’t fit the ratio goes live.
If you’re using the native TikTok scheduler, be sure to keep a backup of your videos and captions, because you can’t edit them once scheduled.
More TikTok resources to help you grow
Planning your posts in advance on TikTok— on any social media platform, really — is a great way to post consistently and grow your following. Want more guidance? Here are more resources to help you grow your TikTok account:
