Here's The Secret To Finding The Best TikTok Filters

You scrolled until 3 a.m. last night, and you’re not sure if that catfish TikTok filter reveal was a fever dream or something someone actually posted. And in fact, it gave you a good idea for a TikTok of your own — if only you could just find that filter.

Mega viral filters — remember Bella Porch’s M to the B video using Face Zoom? — help to inspire video ideas and can make the act of putting yourself out there a little bit less intimidating. (Consider the thin veneer of irony when someone posts a Storytime video with their voice autotuned, compared to telling the story straight-up.) Videos tagged with the Face Zoom effect now have over three billion views, and per TikTok, it’s one of the most used filters in app history. Read: a good filter or effect can give you the push to move a video from your drafts into your feed.

If you don’t save or heart a TikTok with that bonkers filter, it can be challenging to go back and find it. Luckily, if you remember anything about a filter — even a vague term like “anime” or “blue eyes” — you’ll likely be able to locate it via the Discover tab. You can also use the Discover tab to look up filters you haven’t seen before to find ideas for posts or just to screw around with different filters in preview mode — that’s how you’ll find the best TikTok effects for the kinds of videos you like to post.

Here’s how to find interactive filters and effects you didn’t know you needed to play with on TikTok.

Discover TikTok’s Most Popular Filters

Tap the Discover icon and type a key word into the search bar. If you remember the name of the filter — which pops up on the lower left-hand side of TikToks that are posted with the effect, next to a magic wand icon — that’s extra useful. Otherwise, type in whatever characteristics you can remember, like “cartoon” or “face zoom.” If there’s an effect with that specific name, it will load first, followed by top videos that have those terms tagged, so you can scroll through the thumbnails to find what you’re looking for.

Try On TikTok Filters That Other People Are Using

If you see a video that has a cool filter, tap the name of the filter above the username to navigate to the filter’s homepage. There, you can see other videos that have used it, and create a TikTok using that filter. If you like it, you can save it for later by tapping Add to Favorites. With so many filters serving up different tools — like voice effects and AR shark cameos — getting in the habit of bookmarking them is the key to actually using them and leveling up your posts to #FYP status.

Browse Your Camera Bag For The Best TikTok Filters

When you tap the Create Video button (the white plus sign in a black square in the middle of the bottom menu), it will open up a preview page where you can try on a variety of TikTok filters. Just tap Effects to the left of the record button, and scroll through the different tabs. You’ll see Trending, Pride, New, Green Screen, Interactive, Editing, Appearance, Funny, World, Animals, Music, Accessories, and Atmosphere. To save the filters you want to try out, tap the bookmark flag on the lower left side of the screen while the filter is in preview mode, and access it when you’re ready by tapping the bookmark flag menu item ahead of Trending.