Are you wondering why your TikTok videos are blank when you’re trying to watch content on the For You page?
With this guide, we will help you understand why videos appear this way, as well as provide five simple solutions to help you get rid of this issue.
Why are my TikTok videos blank?
TikTok service is down
Your videos will appear blank if the service is unreachable. This will occur if the app is down because technicians are working on the software or there has been an outage.
Poor internet connection
TikTok needs to continuously connect to a stable internet connection for your FYP (for your page) to load videos and not come up as just a black image.
You should have at least 3Mbps – 5Mbps as your upload and download speed for TikTok.
TikTok cache
Every time you launch TikTok, the app will store cache files on your device. This is to quicken its processing time and improve its overall performance.
Over time, the cache files can become too full, causing issues with the app software, which is why you may experience the videos appearing blank on your screen.
Faulty TikTok app
The issue could lie with the TikTok app downloaded on your device. If the initial install was interrupted or faulty files were included, this will cause the app to become problematic.
If the app is due for an update, this will also interfere with its performance. Over time, apps will incur faults and malfunctions, which is why developers continuously roll out updates to fix them and keep them at an optimal level.
Device storage
Do you have enough storage space on the device you are accessing TikTok from?
If your memory is running low, this could be why your TikTok videos show nothing. As we know, the app automatically stores cache files on your device. If there is not enough space for this process to happen, it will conflict with how well the videos play.
TikTok permissions
For the app to gain access to all necessary functions, the TikTok permissions need to be enabled on your mobile. This will ensure the app can play videos from the FYP without any interference.
If the permissions are missing, this could be why you are seeing blank videos.
Where is TikTok banned?
TikTok is banned in certain countries. If you are trying to access the service from one of these locations, your videos will appear blank.
How to fix TikTok blank screen on videos?
Check TikTok service
If you are experiencing issues with your TikTok app, the first thing you need to do is check its service status. If the TikTok server is down, there is not much you will be able to do other than wait until they resolve the problem.
Refresh internet connection
TikTok is an online video streaming service, so it is mandatory for it to use a stable network that provides good enough speeds without being intermittent.
If you refresh your internet, you will improve the connection with your provider and erase any possible issues that may have been occurring with your current connection.
Turn your router off > Unplug > Wait a few minutes > Plug router back in > Switch on
Once your network reconnects, relaunch TikTok.
Clear TikTok cache
Clearing the TikTok cache will free up storage space, improve the app performance as well as get rid of corrupt files.
Step 1. Open TikTok
Step 2. Click on your ‘Profile’ followed by the 3 lines at the top right of your screen
Step 3. Under ‘Cache & Cellular Data,’ select ‘Clear Cache’
Note: If you want to remove the cache files directly from your device, on Android you can do so under ‘Settings’. For iPhone, you would need to delete the TikTop app off your mobile and download it again.
Reinstall TikTok
If you uninstall the TikTok app and reinstall your TikTok app on your device, it will fix software bugs that may currently be on your device.
Step 1. Uninstall or delete TikTok (depending on if you are on Android or Apple)
Step 2. Restart your device
Step 3. Open your app store and find TikTok
Step 4. Install the program
Now log back into your account and verify the fix.
Free up storage space
Along with clearing the cache files from your device, removing any unnecessary applications will free up storage space and help TikTok download the necessary data to process the videos on its application.
Check TikTok permissions
Double-check you have enabled the permissions on your device to give TikTok access to your camera and microphone.
On iPhone:
Settings > TikTok > Toggle on Microphone and Camera
On Android:
Settings > Apps > Find TikTok and click on it > Permissions > Allow
TikTok will now have full access.
Why is TikTok video being processed?
If you are a content creator on TikTok and you are trying to upload a video but keep seeing the ‘video is being processed’ error, your internet speed may not be fast enough to upload it onto the platform.
TikTok will time out if it cannot reach the server in time. A secondary reason might be the overloading TikTok server with an unusual amount of active users at the same time.
A few other causes for this error are:
- TikTok cache is full
- Your video has been flagged as copyrighted
- TikTok is blocking you from posting
Have you pushed ‘upload’ on a video and TikTok has given you a ‘Your video is under review?’
How long does it take TikTok to process a video?
TikTok will instantly upload your video to its platform if your app is connected to a stable network and your content does not get flagged up for being copyrighted or going against their community guidelines. However, you may post a video, and it then ends up ‘under review.’ However, the review stage should last no more than 48 hours.
Why is my TikTok video under review?
Your TikTok video is under review because of flagging. This isn’t always a bad thing, as TikTok will review videos from content creators’ accounts that receive high traffic on their posts.
However, if you upload a video that does not meet their guidelines, they will review it and potentially remove the post if it fails TikTok’s checks.
How to know if your TikTok video is under review
You will know if your TikTok video is under review because you will receive a notification. Also, when you go and view the video in question, you’ll know about this fact
Other users will also be unable to comment or like the video, and it will not show on the FYP until TikTok accepts it.
To avoid these situations when posting on TikTok, make sure your content is original, meets their Community Guidelines, and does not have spammy, offensive, explicit, or violent factors in it.
Keep to this, and you should not experience any issues.
Conclusion
With this guide, we hope you now understand why your TikTok videos were blank and that you were able to fix this issue with one of our five easy solutions.
If you have executed all of the fixes provided and are still experiencing issues with Black videos on your TikTok app, we suggest you use TikTok’s ‘report a problem’ feature. This can be accessed under the ‘Support’ section on your mobile app (Profile > Settings and Privacy > Support > Report a Problem).
