This could be handy – TikTok is seemingly rolling out a new option that’ll enable you to download your TikTok video clips without a watermark, so you can use them for alternate purpose.
(i.e. You can upload them to other platforms)
As you can see in this screenshot, shared by Jonah Manzano, the new option is appearing for some users in the ‘More options’ menu within the video upload flow.
Users have always had the ‘Save to device’ option available, which keeps a copy of your video clip with TikTok branding. But now, you’ll also seemingly be able to save your clip, with any enhancements and editing added, without the TikTok marker appended to your upload.
Which could be great for re-using your clips – given that Instagram, for example, actively limits a video’s reach when it detects watermarks or logos, as a means to deter re-shares of TikTok clips.
Which makes sense – IG wants as much exclusive content in Reels, where possible, but given that people are cross-posting anyway, using their unpolished clips as the base in each app, it just adds more manual work to maximize your opportunities.
Maybe that’s why TikTok’s now looking to let it go, and let people re-use their TikTok clips however they might want. Worth noting, too, that Instagram only recently added the option to download publicly posted Reels clips, complete with a Reels watermark.
It makes sense that the platforms are looking to retain ownership where they can, and combat re-shares of the same stuff over and over again - but as noted, it also just adds more editing work, given that we know creators are going to re-post the same content.
And maybe, TikTok also sees this as an opportunity to showcase more of its editing features, in videos that have been made in its app. If people can then view those clips on other platforms, that might prompt them to question how they could utilize the same editing features, which could bring them back to TikTok.
That could be a more logical approach, even if it annoys other platforms in re-sharing.