Want to zoom out on TikTok? Before filming, check whether you can use the zoom control to fit more into the frame. If you cannot see that option, try your phone’s camera instead. With an existing video, you may sometimes be able to return to the wider, original view. Anything outside the original recording cannot be recovered by zooming out.
Below, you will learn how to do this while filming and editing, and what you can do if zooming out does not work.
How do you zoom out on TikTok while filming?
First, check whether your subject fits completely in the frame. Use the zoom control if it is available and choose a wider view. The options you see may differ depending on your phone and app version.
Cannot zoom out in TikTok? Then try your phone’s regular camera:
- Hold your phone as you want to film, for example upright.
- Open your phone’s camera and choose video.
- Use the zoom control, if available, to fit more of your surroundings in the frame.
- Make a short test recording. Check whether everything is visible and whether the image remains sharp enough.
- Record your video and then use that recording for your TikTok.
Can you not zoom out any further with the regular camera either? Then stand a little further from your subject before filming. This is not zoom, but it does let you fit more into the frame. Also check the sound: your voice may sound quieter from a greater distance.
For the available recording features, you can also consult the TikTok camera guide .
How do you zoom out in a TikTok that has already been recorded?
That depends on the original recording. Did you zoom in while editing? Then you are showing only part of the image: a crop. You may be able to make it wider again. If something is not in the original recording, you cannot make it visible by zooming out.
The TikTok guide to editing videos mentions zoom options. Check the video preview to see what changes when you use them.
Pay attention to the difference between the video image and the timeline. The timeline is the strip where your video clips appear one after another. If only that strip becomes larger or smaller, the image your viewer sees does not change.
- You zoomed in yourself while editing: open your editable version or the original file. Adjust the crop so that more of the image is visible.
- You only have a file where part of the image has already been cropped: find the original recording again. It may contain more of the image.
- The original recording is also too tightly framed: making the video smaller only creates space around the image. It does not show more of the surroundings.
Suppose you film your cat, but her ears fall outside the original recording. A video editing programme cannot bring those ears back by zooming out. Do you still want to show them? Then you need to film again.
What can you do if zooming out on TikTok does not work?
First, check exactly what is happening. The table shows what you can try in each situation.
| What do you see? | What can you do? |
|---|---|
| No zoom control while filming | Make a test recording with your phone’s regular camera. |
| The view does not become wider | Check whether you are already seeing the full camera view or the complete recording. If necessary, move further away or film again. |
| Only the timeline changes | You are only making the strip with clips larger or smaller. Check the video preview to see whether the image itself changes. |
| Borders appear around your video | You are making the entire video smaller. Find the original recording if you want to show more of the surroundings. This is only possible if those surroundings are visible in it. |
Are you also missing voice effects? Read the guide to TikTok voice effects that are not visible. Are you repeatedly logged out while trying? Then see why TikTok logs you out.
How do you create a smooth zoom out for your TikTok?
Want to start with a detail and then show the entire image? Use a video editing programme that supports keyframes. A keyframe is a marker that records how large the image is at that moment. The programme can create the movement between two markers.
- Choose a recording in which your entire subject is visible.
- Add a keyframe at the beginning. Enlarge the image there until you can see the desired detail.
- Add a second keyframe a little later. At that point, show the full image.
- Play the section. Is the zooming out too fast? Move the two markers further apart.
- Save your video and watch the result before using it for TikTok.
Suppose you want to show a detail of a homemade cake first and then the whole cake. Film the whole cake straight away. While editing, enlarge the beginning of the recording to show the detail.
Enlarging too much can make the image less sharp. For that reason, view the beginning of your zoom in full screen. If you also publish your own content, our TikTok services includes packages for followers and likes. The product pages show the available quantities and prices.
Which way of zooming out suits your TikTok?
- You are still going to film: choose a wider camera view or move a little further away.
- You zoomed in while editing: adjust your edit so that more of the image is visible, or start again with the original recording.
- You want to zoom out smoothly: use a programme with keyframes and a recording in which your entire subject is visible.
- Something is missing from the original recording: film again if that part needs to appear in the frame.
