How to Use Green Screen on TikTok (Photo, Video, Duet)
Green screen on TikTok is an effect, reached from the camera like any other: tap Add post +, then Effects at the bottom of the camera screen, select a Green Screen effect if your panel shows one, pick the photo or video to put behind you, and record. The catch is that TikTok’s current Help Center has no Green Screen article, so the Green Screen part comes from TikTok’s 2019 posts. Checked against TikTok Help Center: EffectsNot verified
This guide to how to use green screen on TikTok pairs today’s Effects steps with TikTok’s dated 2019 to 2021 announcements, and flags where menus may have moved. For the camera’s other tools, from filters to sounds, see our guide to using TikTok.
Table of Contents
- Which green screen effects does TikTok have?
- How to use green screen on TikTok (current Effects steps)
- How do you use a photo or a video as your background?
- How do you do a Green Screen Duet?
- How do you remove a green screen effect?
- Why can’t I find the green screen effect?
- TikTok green screen FAQ
Which green screen effects does TikTok have?
Four green-screen effects appear in TikTok’s dated Newsroom posts: Green Screen (a photo background), Green Screen Video (a video background), Green Screen Sky (a video in place of the sky) and Green Screen Duet (another TikTok behind you). Each row is TikTok’s description at the time:
| Effect | What TikTok’s post says it does | Post date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Screen | Uses any photo from your phone as the background | 22 Oct 2019 | Checked against TikTok Newsroom: How to use the green screen effect on TikTok (22 October 2019) |
| Green Screen Video | Plays a clip of up to 60 seconds from your phone’s video album behind you as you record | 12 Dec 2019 | Checked against TikTok Newsroom: New Green Screen Video effect puts users at the center of the action (12 December 2019) |
| Green Screen Sky | Replaces the sky with a video | 2 Jul 2020 | Checked against TikTok Newsroom: TikTok tutorial series: Green screen sky effect (2 July 2020) |
| Green Screen Duet | Uses another TikTok video as your background, chosen from the Duet layout options; the original creator is credited and linked in the caption | 12 May 2021 | Checked against TikTok Newsroom: Introducing Green Screen Duet (12 May 2021) |
How to use green screen on TikTok (current Effects steps)
Open the camera, tap Effects and select the Green Screen effect; it previews on your screen, and you tap anywhere to go back and record. These are TikTok’s Help Center steps for any effect, since it has none for Green Screen. Save the effect to Favorites for next time:
In the app: Record with an effect:
- In the TikTok app, tap the Add Post + button at the bottom.
- Tap Effects at the bottom of the camera screen.
- Select an effect to preview. It'll automatically be applied to your screen.
- Tap anywhere to return to the camera screen and record with the effect.
In the app: Add an effect to Favorites:
- After tapping the Add Post + button, tap Effects and select the effect you would like to favorite.
- Tap the Favorites button at the top of the effects panel.
Checked against TikTok Help Center: Effects.
TikTok’s 2019 instructions, for reference. They point to a “Trending” section of Effects. Today’s Help Center doesn’t say where the effect sits, so your panel may look different:
In the app:
- Open the app and hit the "+" to create a video.
- Select "Effects" and under the "Trending" section, look for the #greenscreen icon.
- Choose any photo from your phone library to use your background and hit record!
Checked against TikTok Newsroom: How to use the green screen effect on TikTok (22 October 2019).
How do you use a photo or a video as your background?
Pick Green Screen for a picture background and Green Screen Video for a moving one. In TikTok’s 2019 posts, Green Screen takes any photo from your phone’s library, and Green Screen Video lets you trim up to 60 seconds of a video from your phone’s video album, which plays behind you as you record. Checked against TikTok Newsroom: New Green Screen Video effect puts users at the center of the action (12 December 2019)
Green Screen Sky, from TikTok’s 2 July 2020 post, swaps the sky in your shot for a video instead. Checked against TikTok Newsroom: TikTok tutorial series: Green screen sky effect (2 July 2020)
Need a reason to use it? Our TikTok video ideas include one that puts your own pricing page behind you, and a POV video can use the background to set the scene.
How do you do a Green Screen Duet?
Duet the video you want behind you, then select Green Screen from the Duet layout options. That’s how TikTok described Green Screen Duet when it introduced the effect on 12 May 2021, adding that the original creator is credited and linked in the caption. Checked against TikTok Newsroom: Introducing Green Screen Duet (12 May 2021)
TikTok listed the other layouts then as Left & Right, React and Top & Bottom. Today’s Help Center Duet article names no layouts, so your menu may differ. Checked against TikTok Newsroom: Introducing Green Screen Duet (12 May 2021) TikTok’s current Duet steps, which don’t mention layouts:
In the app:
- In the TikTok app, tap the Share button on the side of the video you'd like to Duet.
- Tap Duet at the bottom. You may need to swipe to find it.
- Add effects, filters, or use other camera tools.
- Tap the Record button to start and stop your recording, then tap the Continue ✓ button.
- Tap Your Story to post the Duet to your Story, or Next to make additional edits, including: Add description, Add hashtags, Tag people, Add a location, Add link, Manage privacy settings.
- Tap Post to publish your Duet or Drafts to save it. Your drafts are visible only to you on your profile.
Checked against TikTok Help Center: Duets.
You can only Duet a video whose owner allows it: a creator needs a public account to let others Duet them, and not all videos have Duet turned on. Checked against TikTok Help Center: Duets Our guide to how to Duet on TikTok covers the rest.
How do you remove a green screen effect?
Remove it like any other effect. TikTok’s Help Center gives one route for a video and another for a photo:
In the app: Remove an effect from a video:
- Tap the Remove button next to the effect at the bottom.
In the app: Remove an effect from a photo:
- Tap the Effects button on the side panel.
- Tap the effect you selected, then tap the Remove button on the side panel.
- Click Save at the top.
In the app: Remove a filter:
- Tap the Filters button on the side panel.
- Tap the Remove button on the left.
In the app: Remove the retouch filter:
- Before you record a video or take a photo, tap the Retouch button on the side panel.
Checked against TikTok Help Center: Effects.
The last two lists cover filters and the retouch filter, which are separate tools from effects. Our TikTok filters guide explains the difference.
Why can’t I find the green screen effect?
TikTok publishes no current path to it. Its only steps for finding the Green Screen effect date from 2019, its Help Center doesn’t say where the effect sits in today’s Effects panel, and it documents no way to search effects by name. Checked against TikTok Help Center: EffectsNot verified What TikTok does document narrows the hunt:
- Look at the other stage. TikTok says effects can be added before or after you record, but some are only available before recording and others only after. Checked against TikTok Help Center: Effects
- Save it once you find it. The Favorites button at the top of the effects panel keeps it a tap away.
- Use the app, not a browser. The effects steps in TikTok’s Help Center are all for the app, and the settings it lists for a web upload, from caption and cover to comments and a copyright check, include no effects. TikTok adds that tools vary between the app and the web, and by region. Checked against TikTok Help Center: Tools for creators (TikTok Studio)
Planning to schedule a green-screen video from Outfeed AI rather than post it from the TikTok app?
Send a finished green-screen video to TikTok with Outfeed AI
TikTok green screen FAQ
What is the difference between Green Screen and Green Screen Video on TikTok?
The background. In TikTok’s 2019 posts, Green Screen puts any photo from your phone’s library behind you, while Green Screen Video, announced on 12 December 2019, plays a clip you trim to up to 60 seconds from your phone’s video album behind you as you record.
Can you add a green screen to a video you’ve already recorded?
TikTok’s Help Center has no Green Screen article, but its Effects article says effects can be added before or after you record, while some are only available before recording and others only after. TikTok’s 2019 posts describe Green Screen as a background you record in front of, so look for it in the camera before you film.
How do you do a green screen Duet on TikTok?
Duet the video you want behind you, then select Green Screen from the Duet layout options. That is how TikTok described Green Screen Duet when it introduced the effect on 12 May 2021, adding that the original creator is credited and linked in the caption. Today’s Help Center Duet article names no layouts, so the menu may look different.
Why is the green screen effect not showing up on TikTok?
TikTok publishes no current path to it. Its only steps for finding the Green Screen effect date from 2019 and point to a Trending section of Effects, its Help Center doesn’t say where the effect sits today, and it documents no way to search effects by name. Check the Effects panel before and after recording, and save the effect to Favorites once you find it.
Can you use green screen on TikTok on a computer?
Not in any way TikTok documents. Its computer steps cover uploading a finished video file, and the settings it lists for a web upload, such as the caption, cover, who can watch and comments, include no effects. Add green screen in the TikTok app, or in your own editor before you upload. Checked against TikTok Help Center: Making a post Checked against TikTok Help Center: Tools for creators (TikTok Studio)