How to make a slideshow on TikTok, step by step.
TikTok's photo mode turns up to 35 photos into a post people swipe through. Here are the steps on iPhone, Android and computer, the sizes that fill the screen, and what 1,332 viral slideshows put on their slides.
Making slideshows for an app? Type it and get three slideshow ideas in about 20 seconds, free, no sign-up.
Updated 26 October 2026
To make a slideshow on TikTok, tap +, tap Upload, turn on Select multiple and pick up to 35 photos in order. Tap Next, keep it in photo mode, add text and a sound, then write a title and tap Post.
Photo mode makes a slideshow viewers swipe. If you'd rather it play by itself like a video, switch to video mode before posting, or read how auto swipe works.
Six steps in the TikTok app.
The same on iPhone and Android. Takes about five minutes once your photos are ready.
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Tap + to create a post
Open TikTok and tap the + in the middle of the bottom bar. The camera opens.
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Open your photos
Tap Upload, the small square next to the record button. Switch to the Photos tab if your version shows one.
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Select several photos, in order
Turn on Select multiple and tap up to 35 photos in the order they should appear. You can't reorder them later, so the cover goes first. Then tap Next.
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Keep it in photo mode
Several photos open as a photo post. Leave it that way for a slideshow people swipe. Switching to video mode makes it a slideshow video that plays by itself.
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Add text and a sound
Tap Aa to put text on the photo you're on, then swipe to the next one. TikTok picks a sound for you: swap it, or turn its volume down. More in adding text to a slideshow.
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Add a title and post
Tap Next, write a short title and caption, and check the cover. Then tap Post, or Drafts to finish later. See changing a slideshow cover.
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3Drawn from the current app, not screenshots. TikTok moves buttons and renames them between versions and regions, so yours may say Create instead of +, or show a "Switch to video mode" button instead of a Photo/Video toggle. The order of the steps stays the same.
iPhone, Android or a computer.
The app works the same on both phones. A few small differences, and what to do if you're at a desk.
On iPhone
If TikTok only shows a few photos, it has limited access. Go to Settings, TikTok, Photos and choose Full Access, or add the photos you need.
Screenshots and images saved from other apps sit in the same library, so they work like any other photo.
On Android
The gallery groups photos by folder. Tap the album name at the top (often "Recents" or "All") to find a folder like Downloads or Screenshots.
If you don't see a Photos tab or photo mode at all, update TikTok from the Play Store. Photo mode needs a recent version.
On a computer
TikTok's web uploader at tiktok.com (TikTok Studio) was built for videos. Many accounts can now upload photos there too, but not all, and the options are fewer than in the app.
If yours only takes video, send the photos to your phone and post from the app, or use a scheduler that posts photo posts through TikTok's API. See how to schedule TikTok posts.
Photo mode or a slideshow video? Pick before you post.
Both start from the same photos. They play differently, and you can't switch once the post is live.
Photo mode
A swipeable post. Each photo stays on screen until the viewer swipes, and the sound plays underneath.
Video mode
A regular video made of your photos. Each one shows for a few seconds, often cut to the beat, and the viewer just watches.
| Photo mode | Video mode | |
|---|---|---|
| How it plays | Viewer swipes, at their own pace | Plays by itself, then loops |
| Text | Per photo, read for as long as they like | Has to be read before the photo changes |
| Videos inside | Photos only | Photos and clips can be mixed |
| Good for | Lists, guides, tips, stories with a reveal | Photo dumps set to a song, recaps |
Limits and sizes for a TikTok slideshow.
A full-screen 9:16 photo fills the phone. Anything else gets black bars in photo mode. That's less of a problem than it sounds: we measured the first slide of every slideshow in our library.
1080 × 1920
Fills the screen. Keep text off the striped areas, where the caption and buttons sit.
1080 × 1440
The most common crop in viral slideshows. A phone photo, uncropped.
1080 × 1350
The Instagram portrait size. Fine for posts you also share there.
1080 × 1080
Square. Shows as a band across the middle of the screen.
Covered by the caption and buttonsBars: share of 1,332 viral slideshows using each shape. The other 18% used other crops.
The most one photo post can hold. You need at least two for a slideshow.
Median views for each of the four shapes. The crop didn't decide which posts went viral.
The most common length. About 7 in 10 viral slideshows had between 5 and 12.
Make it look like a post, not an ad.
The slideshows that spread look like someone's camera roll with a few words on top. This is what the viral ones have in common.
- Put the hook on slide one98.8% of the viral slideshows in our library have text on the first photo. The median hook is 8 words, short enough to read mid-scroll.
- A few words on every photo91% of all slides carry text, about 10 words each. Use TikTok's own text styles, so it reads like a post. How to add text.
- Phone photos, not designed graphicsReal places, hands, plates, mirrors. If a product or app appears, it's one photo in the story, held in someone's hand.
- A cover that makes them swipeThe first photo is what people see in the feed and on your profile. Pick or change the cover.
- A sound that fits, kept lowPhoto posts always carry a sound. Pick one that matches the mood and turn it down if it fights the text, so the words do the work.
Example made by ClonBot to show what it does. We're not affiliated with Strava.
What to put in your slideshow.
Knowing how to post one is the easy half. The harder half is what goes on the slides. The library tells you which kinds of post get kept.
Saves are the clearest sign a slideshow worked: people keep it to come back to. Across 1,332 viral slideshows, checklists and step-by-step guides were saved most, about 5 times per 100 views. Stories and relatable posts got more views but were saved far less.
So if you want your slideshow to be useful, make it a list someone will need again: how to store produce, a week of study schedules, books for a mood. If you want reach, tell a short story with a payoff on the last slide.
For a running start, browse TikTok slideshow ideas, copy the structure of a slideshow template, or start from hooks that worked.
| Format | Views | Saved | Slides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checklist | 2.8M | 5.1% | 7 |
| Guide | 2.5M | 5.0% | 7 |
| Tips list | 2.3M | 4.1% | 7 |
| Photo dump | 3.7M | 3.3% | 9 |
| Story | 5.8M | 1.4% | 10 |
| Relatable | 5.0M | 1.3% | 5 |
Six viral slideshows to learn from. Tap one to swipe through it.
Making slideshows for an app, every day? ClonBot starts from these formats, writes a new story with your app in it, and posts them for you.
Questions about TikTok slideshows.
Where is photo mode on TikTok?
Tap + to open the camera, then tap Upload and select more than one photo. TikTok opens them as a photo post. In some versions you first pick Photo in the row of modes under the record button. If you don't see it, update the app.
How many photos can a TikTok slideshow have?
Up to 35 photos in one photo post. The viral slideshows in our library were much shorter: the median had 8 slides, and the most common lengths were 6 and 7.
How do I make a slideshow swipe automatically?
A photo mode post waits for the viewer to swipe. If you want the photos to move on by themselves, switch to video mode before posting, and TikTok shows each photo for a few seconds. Our guide to TikTok slideshow auto swipe covers both options.
How do I change the cover of a TikTok slideshow?
The first photo you select is the cover, so the easiest way is to tap it first. Many versions also show a cover option on the post screen. Details in how to change a TikTok slideshow cover.
Can I put a video in a TikTok slideshow?
Not in photo mode, which takes photos only. If you select photos and video clips together, TikTok makes a regular video that plays the photos and clips in order.
Can I use my own sound on a slideshow?
Photo posts use sounds from TikTok's library. To use your own audio, post it once as a video, which creates an original sound, then pick that sound from your favorites when you make the slideshow.
Why can't I make a slideshow on TikTok?
Usually the app is out of date, Select multiple is off, or TikTok doesn't have access to all your photos. Update the app, check photo access in your phone's settings, and make sure you picked photos, not videos.
Can I make TikTok slideshows without making them by hand?
Yes. If you need slideshows for an app, ClonBot builds them from viral formats with your app's real screens and posts them on autopilot after you approve. Type your app at the top of this page to see three ideas for free. Plans start at $99 a month, see pricing.
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Rather not make them by hand? We'll post tomorrow's.
Setting up your app and creator is free. Plans from $99 a month for 60 posts.