Top 9 Ways to Fix TikTok Effects Not Working

Built-in TikTok effects is one of the prime reasons behind the social media platform’s soaring popularity among the young generation. With TikTok effects, you can create attention-worthy short videos with minimal effort. TikTok filters not working can ruin your perfect video, and here are the best ways to get trendy effects back on the platform.

AI Manga, Teenage, Age, and other filters are quite popular among TikTokers. The option is a tap away when you launch the built-in camera to create a short video. TikTok filter effects not working can confuse you and may even force you to use third-party video editors to get the job done.

1. Restart TikTok

Let’s start with the basics. You can force restart TikTok on your phone and try again.

Step 1: Swipe up and hold from the bottom to launch the recent apps menu.

Step 2: Swipe up on TikTok to close it completely. Launch TikTok and check if filters appear and work as expected.  

2. Check Network Connection

When you tap on an effect, TikTok downloads the filter. Your phone needs a stable internet connection to download filters without any issues. You can temporarily enable the Airplane mode and disable it after some time to fix network glitches.

If the network issues persist, reset network settings and try your luck with TikTok.  

3. Some Filters May Not Be Available in Your Region

Due to region restrictions, some TikTok filters may not be available in your country. You can temporarily connect to a VPN network, force restart TikTok, and try again. There are dozens of VPN apps available on iPhone and Android, and you won’t have a hard time tweaking the IP address on your phone.

4. Authenticate Your Account Again

Did you recently change your TikTok account password? Some features may not work as expected due to an account authentication problem. You should sign out and log in to your TikTok account again.

Step 1: Launch TikTok on your phone and press the Profile icon at the bottom-right corner.

Step 2: Tap the hamburger menu at the top-right corner and open Settings and privacy.

Step 3: Scroll down and select Log out.

Log in with your TikTok account details and try using video filters again.  

5. Clear TikTok Cache

TikTok collects cache (small files) in the background to improve app performance on your phone. Sometimes, it ends up collecting corrupt cache and causing irregularities with in-built filters. It’s time to clear the TikTok cache and try again.

Step 1: Long-press on the TikTok app icon to open the App Info menu.

Step 2: Select Storage and data and tap Clear cache.

You can clear the TikTok cache from the app settings menu, too.

Step 1: Launch TikTok on your phone and press the Profile icon at the bottom-right corner.

Step 2: Tap the hamburger menu at the top-right corner and open Settings and privacy.

Step 3: Scroll to Free up space.

Step 4: Tap Clear beside Cache.

Since TikTok collects cache from scratch, you may notice higher loading times in the app.

6. Disable TikTok Data Saver Mode

TikTok may fail to download filters on an active data saver mode. You should disable it using the steps below and try again.

Step 1: Launch TikTok on your phone and press the Profile icon at the bottom-right corner.

Step 2: Tap the hamburger menu at the top-right corner and open Settings and privacy.

Step 3: Scroll to Data Saver.

Step 4: Disable the Data Saver toggle.

Restart TikTok (check the first trick) and try again.

7. Update TikTok

TikTok regularly adds new filters and effects via app updates. You can install the latest app update from the App Store or Google Play Store.

8. Reinstall TikTok

When none of the tricks work, it’s time to reinstall TikTok on your phone. Here’s how.

Android

Step 1: Long-press on the TikTok app icon and open the info menu.

Step 2: Tap Uninstall and confirm your decision.

iPhone

Step 1: Long-press on TikTok app icon and select Remove App.

Step 2: Tap Delete App.

9. Check TikTok Servers

Do TikTok effects still fail to work on your phone? If the TikTok servers are facing an outage, you may face issues with applying filters. You can visit Downdetector and search for TikTok. If you notice high outage graphs, wait for TikTok to resolve the server-side problems.

Elevate Your TikTok Videos With Effects

Your TikTok video may not get meaningful momentum without effects. The tricks above should help you get your favorite filters back. Which trick worked for you? Share your findings in the comments below.