Take your TikTok presence up a notch with this handy feature
TikTok’s Stitch feature is just like the platform itself: interactive, community-driven, and creative.
This clever feature lets you take a short clip from an existing TikTok video (up to five seconds) and place it at the beginning of your own video.
It's a great way to respond or react to someone else's content.
In this article, we'll walk you through how to stitch on TikTok, manage your Stitch settings, and use stitched videos in your social media strategy.
In this guide:
How to stitch on TikTok
Creating a stitched video on TikTok is straightforward and fun. You can do it all right from the TikTok app.
Just follow these steps to stitch videos using the app’s built-in Stitch feature.
Step 1: Choose a video to stitch
Open the TikTok app and find the existing video you want to stitch (it could be another creator’s post or even one of your own videos).
Make sure the video is from a public account and that the creator has allowed stitching – if not, the “Stitch” option won’t appear. If you don’t see “Stitch” as an option, the creator likely disabled it, or their account is private.
Step 2: Tap the share button and select “Stitch”
On the video, tap the “Share” button (the arrow icon labeled “Send to”). This opens a menu of sharing options. Scroll through the options and tap “Stitch.”
TikTok will then prepare the video clip for editing.
Step 3: Trim the clip from the original video
At this point, you’ll be taken to the editing screen. The original video will appear with a slider at the bottom. This is where you use the slider to select up to five seconds of the original video that you want to include in your stitched video.
Drag the handles to trim the clip to your desired segment. Pick whatever moment you want – whether it’s a question you want to answer, a scene you’re reacting to, or a point you want to expand on.
When you’re happy with the clip, tap “Next”.
Step 4: Add your content to finish the Stitch
After trimming the original clip, it's time to add your part to the stitched video.
You have a couple of options here. You can use the “Record” button to film new content or upload a pre-recorded video from your camera roll as your clip.
Whatever you choose, TikTok will add your video directly after the original clip. You can then use TikTok’s editing tools to insert text, stickers, filters, or other effects.
Step 5: Finalize details and post your stitched video
Once the video editing is done, it's time to add a caption, hashtags, and tag other users.
TikTok will automatically mark the video as a “#stitch” in the caption and credit the original creator by username. However, it’s still a good idea to mention or tag them in your caption as a courtesy.
Below the caption field, you’ll see toggles for various settings. Ensure “Allow Stitch” is turned on if you want to let others stitch your new video. This is also how you allow others to stitch your videos – more on Stitch settings below).
Double-check everything, then hit “Post” to publish your stitched creation.
How to manage Stitch privacy settings
Not everyone will want to have their content stitched by strangers, and brands may want control over how their videos are used.
For these reasons, TikTok provides specific privacy settings so you can manage who can stitch your content.
Global Stitch settings (who can stitch your videos)
By default, TikTok lets everyone stitch public videos. If you’d like to change this, go to your profile in the TikTok app and open the settings and privacy menu (tap the three-line “Menu” button on your profile).
Navigate to “Privacy,” then scroll down and find “Stitch” in the list of settings. This is where you control who can stitch your content overall.
Tap “Stitch,” and you’ll see options for “Who can Stitch with your videos.” You can choose “Everyone,” “Friends” (meaning only people you follow who also follow you back), or “Only me.” Selecting “Only me” effectively turns Stitch off entirely, so no one can stitch any of your videos.
Per-video Stitch settings
You can also control Stitch on a per-video basis. When you’re posting a new TikTok, just look for the “Allow Stitch” toggle on the post screen before you publish (under the “More” options section below the caption).
For instance, you might normally allow stitches but turn Stitch off for individual videos, like serious announcements.
Removing stitched content
What if you allowed Stitch and later regretted it? TikTok gives you a way to manage this, but it’s all-or-nothing per video.
If you want to disable another person's video using your content, the only way is to delete or make private the original video they stitched from. Removing your original post will permanently remove that video and all the Duets and Stitches derived from it.
Creative uses of stitched videos for marketers
Brands have discovered all sorts of fun ways to make TikTok stitches fit into their social media strategy since the feature launched in 2020.
Respond to other creators’ content
Instead of just leaving a comment, Stitch lets you make a visual reply to another creator’s TikTok.
This can be incredibly useful for brand storytelling and engagement since it's a creative way to interact and is great for jumping on viral trends.
Highlight user-generated content and testimonials
Stitched videos are a great way to highlight your customers’ stories. If a user posts a TikTok about your brand, you can ask for permission and then Stitch it.
These kinds of stitches serve as social proof and tend to feel more genuine than polished ads.
Collaborate with influencers via Stitch
Many influencer marketing campaigns on TikTok now include Stitch as a component. A brand and an influencer can co-create content where one posts a video and the other stitches it to add their perspective.
Using an influencer marketing platform like Brandwatch Influence can streamline these workflows, from discovering relevant TikTok creators to managing the content approval process.
Extend or repurpose your own content
Don’t forget that you can stitch your own TikTok videos as well. This can be a clever way to create a series or add updates.
For example, a food brand might post a recipe video, then later Stitch it to add substitution tips or a seasonal twist (“Remember that pancake recipe? Here’s how to make it holiday-themed!”).
And when it comes to scheduling these follow-ups or coordinating a series of stitched posts, a tool like Brandwatch Social Media Management comes in handy. It allows you to plan and manage your TikTok posting calendar to time your stitched content for when your audience is most active and even cross-post snippets of your TikTok stitches to other channels if appropriate.
Start stitching today
A well-crafted stitched video can spark new conversations, open your content up to new viewers, and even help you go viral by piggybacking on trending content.
It’s a fun way to collaborate with your audience and other creators, all while freshly telling your brand’s story.
Go ahead – try stitching a video or two, experiment with different ideas, and see how your audience responds. You might be surprised at the reach and impact you can achieve with a simple Stitch.
And if you need a helping hand in managing your TikTok strategy or scaling up your social media presence, Brandwatch has you covered. From influencer coordination to multi-channel content scheduling (all timed to boost engagement), Brandwatch’s platform provides the support and insights you need to make the most of TikTok and beyond.
We’re an official TikTok partner, after all!
