TikTok wouldn’t be TikTok without its iconic green-screen effect.
The feature, which allows users to record themselves superimposed over an image of their choosing, is ripe for dance trends, citing sources, and even tricking parents. Users don’t even need an actual green screen to use it, which certainly makes things easier.
TikTok has so many green screen effect options, the green screen gets its own section in its editing suite.
Here’s how to use TikTok green screen effect
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile device.
If you don’t already have TikTok, you can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
- Tap the plus “+” sign in the middle of the bottom row of options.
That brings you to TikTok’s extensive recording and editing suite, where you can either record videos in-app or upload your own. To access the green screen feature, tap the square labeled “Effects” in the lower left-hand corner.
- Tap “Effects” to the left of the red “Record” button.
- Tap “Green Screen,” next to the “New,” and “Trending” categories.
- Upload your image by pressing the plus “+” icon, and select your photo or video. Or, select from TikTok’s library of backgrounds.
TikTok will automatically superimpose you onto the image you choose. While the app is good at identifying users within an image, the green screen effect does work better when the user is recording against a solid-colored background.
Users can also resize themselves and place themselves anywhere on the green screen background
Personalize videos with other green screen effects
TikTok’s other green screen features follow the same basic steps: tap the icon you want, choose the image you’re using for a green screen, and then adjust your size and placement. For the green screen video function, for example, follow the same steps and choose a video from your library to record over. To use the green screen sticker function, select an image from your library and place it where you want, and then record your video as usual.
Making use of some green screen features requires a little more user input, like TikTok’s green screen eyes and mouth feature for instance. This mildly terrifying feature allows the user to edit their own eyes, nose, and mouth over static images. People use it to animate objects, give their pets some personality, or even impersonate other people.
To use this feature, select the image you want to use for your green screen. TikTok will identify your eyes, nose, and mouth, which you can resize and place over the image as you want.