How to Post Photos and Carousels on TikTok with Photo Mode？

What Is TikTok Photo Mode and How to Use It

For once, it seems that TikTok is borrowing elements from Instagram rather than the other way around. Photo Mode bears a striking resemblance to Instagram carousels in both appearance and user experience.

Photo Mode is TikTok's new single and multi - image carousel format designed for photo content. It enables viewers to swipe through images at their own speed.

Currently, locating Photo Mode in TikTok isn’t the most straightforward process, so we’ll show you two methods for accessing the feature.

As always, whether you’re using an iPhone or an Android device, first ensure your TikTok app is updated to the latest version.

How to post a TikTok carousel

Let’s go through each of those steps in a bit more detail below.

Adding pictures to TikTok as a carousel post is fairly simple.

First, open the TikTok app. Begin creating a new post by pressing the "+" icon on your home screen. To switch from a default post to a carousel post, toggle to Photo instead of Video. Tap the Upload icon on the right-hand side to select photos from your phone.

Tap the Upload button and select the photos you want to post by tapping the circles in the top-right corner of your desired images, then hit Next. Ensure that Select Multiple is enabled.

You're able to add up to 35 (!!) images to your TikTok carousel, which is more than three times the number of photos you can include in Instagram carousel posts.

Similar to Instagram, be sure to select the photos in the sequence you want them to show up in your carousel. At present, once you click Next, there's no option to reorder the images from the photo editing screen.

At this stage, you can edit the images just like you would with a regular TikTok video. This involves adding text, stickers, effects, filters, and so on.

Prior to posting, double - check that you're indeed in Photo Mode. There ought to be a button labeled "Switch to video mode" at the bottom of your editing screen. Tapping this button will convert your photo carousel into an automated slideshow video.

You’ll also notice that even in Photo Mode, TikTok will automatically add music to your carousel. Unlike when posting a single photo, there’s currently no option to delete the sound. Instead, you can browse available sounds to select one you prefer over TikTok’s automatic choice (recommended). If you want no sound at all, tap the **Volume** button and turn the audio all the way down.

Once you’ve adjusted the audio settings to your liking, click **Next**. As with regular TikTok content, you’ll be prompted to add a description, tag people, list a location, etc., before sharing your post.

Once everything is ready, click “Post.” TikTok carousel posts will play automatically in the feed. However, viewers also have the option to swipe through the images. The progression is indicated by dots at the bottom of the screen, and the top - right corner shows the number of the current photo out of the total number in the carousel.

And remember, there’s one final yet crucial step: posting your carousel at the optimal time for your target audience.

How to Post a Single Photo on TikTok with Photo Mode

Another way to use Photo Mode is by simply uploading a single image instead of creating a full TikTok carousel.

First, open the TikTok app and press the "+" or Upload icon at the bottom of the For You page. Ensure that Photo Mode is enabled.

Next, select the photo you want to post. Tap the bubble next to Select Multiple at the bottom of the screen to deselect it, then tap your photo. Alternatively, you can tap the circle in the top-right corner of your desired image, ensuring the number 1 appears inside it, and hit Next.

From here, you can edit the image as you would with a normal TikTok video by adding text, stickers, effects, filters, etc. When your image is ready, hit Next.

Just like with regular TikToks, you’ll then be prompted to add a description, tag people, list a location, etc., before sharing your post. When you’re ready, hit Post.

Once your picture is posted to your TikTok page, you may notice that you only have the option to "Save Video," which saves the post as a short clip containing your still photo with whatever sound you added to it. Don’t worry — you didn’t use Photo Mode incorrectly.