How to Remove a TikTok Filter (With Photos)

Are you testing TikTok filters, and now you’re stuck with one you don’t like? You don’t have to discard all your edits and start all over. While the company doesn’t make the option apparent, you can remove a TikTok filter, and we’ll show you how!

Of course, we’d like to let you know upfront that removing a filter or effect is impossible after you post your TikTok video. The filter is part of the video file; the only way to remove it is to delete your video. However, you can still remove filters, effects, and retouch during the recording process. We’ll also show you how to remove filters from your TikTok drafts and a few other neat tricks along the way.

Getting to Know TikTok Filters

TikTok filters are an excellent addition to the platform’s video editing software. You can add Portrait, Landscape, Food, and Vibe filters. Essentially, these filters place a visual film over your content to make it more appealing and interesting. Combined with text, music, and other features, you have a lot of options to customize your videos!

As opposed to filters, TikTok also offers Effects which are often animated and give you many more options. You can use the app’s native effects to add a greenscreen, the perfect eyeliner, or include cards for fun games.

The following sections will teach you how to remove all filters and effects from your TikTok videos.

How to Remove a TikTok Filter While Filming

The best way to remove any filters is during the initial filming process. You can travel between editing pages and change all sorts of characteristics on your TikTok video.

Helpful hint: TikTok doesn’t give us any room for error because edits can’t be made after posting. So take a moment to ensure your video is perfect when you finish editing!

Step 1: Navigate to the Edit Page

After recording, you’ll tap the Next (or red check) option to move through the pages. The second page you come to just before publishing is your editing page, and the menu to the right shows the Filters button.

Tap the Filters button.

Step 2: Tap the Circle Icon

Now you will see all the filters that TikTok offers. Tap the circle icon with a line in it at the top left. Your filter will disappear, and you can add a new one if you like.

Helpful hint: Check the Retouch icon in the menu to the right on the recording page if you want no filters. The retouch option is often enabled by default.

How to Remove a TikTok Filter from a Draft

If you created a TikTok draft, you can go back and remove any filters (but you can’t remove any effects). Simply follow these steps to remove filters from a TikTok draft:

Step 1: Open the Draft

You’ll need to open your TikTok draft to remove the filters. For those unfamiliar, you can navigate to your profile by tapping the Me icon in the lower right corner. Then, tap on the Drafts folder.

Step 2: Tap the Filter Icon

When you open your draft, you’ll see the editing page. Tap the filter icon on the right side of the TikTok screen.

Step 3: Tap the Circle Icon

Following the same steps we did above, tap the circle icon with a line in it to remove the filter.

How to Remove a TikTok Effect

Much like TikTok filters, you can remove a TikTok effect from a video before posting. However, you can’t remove any effects after posting or saving your video. So, be sure to remove the effects before moving forward if you don’t like them.

Here’s how to remove a TikTok effect during the recording process:

Step 1: Tap the Effects Button

If you’re on the publishing page, tap the back arrow in the top left corner twice to go back to the recording page (the page with the red record button). You’ll see the Effects icon in the bottom left corner. Tap it.

Step 2: Tap the Circle Icon

Just above the effects and to the left, tap the circle icon with a line in it. This will remove the effect immediately.

Now, you can add a different effect or post your video with none.

Finding the Perfect Filter or Effect

Now that you removed the filters you don’t want, let’s take a brief moment to explain the many ways you can find filters and effects to make the perfect video.

How to Find a Filter

TikTok offers more filters than you see when selecting the Filter icon. To find more or find the one you want easier, tap the filter button. In the pop-up menu, tap Management to the right of the four filter selections.

Now, a new window will appear, letting you select more filters. This window also makes it easier to find existing filters because the screen is larger.

How to Find an Effect

First, if you tap the filter option, you can type the name of the filter you want to add, and it will appear at the top of the menu. Of course, this method assumes you know what the filter is called.

Next, you can scroll through other people’s TikTok videos and tap the Filter button in the lower left part of the screen (usually above their username). When you tap the filter, you can select Use this filter or Add to Favorites.

Now, you can find those filters or your favorites or use them immediately and save them to a draft or publish them.

TikTok Unfiltered

Did you find the perfect filter for your TikTok video? While it’s unfortunate that TikTok doesn’t let us return to customize videos after posting, you have quite a bit of control over them during the recording process.

Before you publish your video, ensure that you don’t want to remove any filters or effects. Because once you post it, the filter will forever be a part of your video.