TikTok text fonts, and the ones viral slideshows use.
What TikTok's fonts are called, how to switch font and style in the editor, and what 1,320 viral photo slideshows actually put on their slides. Type a line below to see it in every style.
Posting slideshows for an app? Type its name and get three post ideas with the hook text written, in about 20 seconds. Free, no sign-up.
The TikTok text font is TikTok Sans, the app's own typeface since May 2023 and the one behind the editor's Classic style. The text tool's font row also has Typewriter, Handwriting, Neon and Serif in most versions, as of October 2026; some versions and regions show a few more. TikTok Sans is free to download from Google Fonts.
Before TikTok Sans, the Classic look was Proxima Nova. If you want the steps for putting text on each photo, see how to add text to a TikTok slideshow; this page is about the look.
Type a line, see it in every TikTok style.
Your words on a slide in TikTok's five main fonts. Classic uses the real TikTok Sans; the others are close web stand-ins. Under each: how many viral slideshows used that kind of font.
pov: you finally found a routine that sticks
pov: you finally found a routine that sticks
pov: you finally found a routine that sticks
pov: you finally found a routine that sticks
pov: you finally found a routine that sticks
Shares of 1,320 viral slideshows in ClonBot's library with a text style note. Fonts: the main font named (5% name none; Neon counts notes that mention a glow). Styles: the same split as on our add-text guide; see-through boxes weren't counted separately.
The fonts in TikTok's editor, and free look-alikes.
What each one looks like, and what to use when you make slides outside TikTok.
Classic
swipe for part 2The default: TikTok Sans, a clean sans serif. It's the app's own font, so text in it looks native rather than designed.
TikTok SansFree on Google Fonts. For the older Proxima Nova look, Montserrat SemiBold is the usual free stand-in.
Serif
swipe for part 2Small strokes at the ends of letters. It reads calmer and more editorial, so it shows up on recipes, quotes and soft lifestyle posts.
Georgia BoldInstalled on most computers. Libre Baskerville is a free alternative.
Handwriting
swipe for part 2A joined-up script. It gets hard to read at small sizes and past a few words, so viral slideshows use it for a label or a single word, not the hook.
YesteryearA free Google font with a similar script feel.
Neon
swipe for part 2Thin capital letters with a coloured glow, built for dark photos. On a bright photo the glow disappears.
A thin sans in capsTikTok Sans Light or Abel, with an outer glow in the same colour.
Typewriter
swipe for part 2Monospaced letters with a retro, note-taking feel. Every letter takes the same width, so lines run long.
Courier PrimeOr Source Code Pro Bold. Both free on Google Fonts.
- Made by
- TikTok with the type foundry Grilli Type. Rolled out in the app in May 2023, replacing Proxima Nova.
- Licence
- Open source under the SIL Open Font License 1.1: free to use, also commercially, and to embed in apps and sites.
- Styles
- A variable font with weight, width, slant and optical size axes. Covers Latin, Greek and Cyrillic.
- Download
- Google Fonts, TikTok's own font page at tiktok.com/font, or its GitHub repository.
How to change the font and the text style.
Three controls in TikTok's text editor do all of it. Labels can differ a little between app versions.
Font
Tap your text to edit it. The font names sit in a row above the keyboard: swipe and tap Classic, Typewriter, Handwriting, Neon or Serif. The change applies to that text box only.
Style: outline and background
Tap the A icon to cycle the look: plain letters, a solid box behind them, a see-through box and, in many versions, an outline. Each tap moves to the next.
Colour
Pick a colour from the row of circles. With a box on, the colour fills the box and the letters switch to black or white so they stay readable.
You can't change the font of the caption under a post, or TikTok's auto captions: both show in the app's own font. Size comes from pinching the text, and where to put it so the caption and buttons don't cover it is on our TikTok safe zone checker.
Which styles viral slideshows use, by type of post.
Plain white text leads almost everywhere. What changes is the second choice.
| Type of post | Plain | Outline | Box | Shadow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guide (305) | 45% | 19% | 22% | 14% |
| Tips list (221) | 43% | 24% | 20% | 13% |
| Photo dump (175) | 42% | 19% | 16% | 18% |
| Relatable (85) | 45% | 33% | 7% | 15% |
| Ranking (69) | 36% | 33% | 13% | 17% |
| Story (68) | 35% | 22% | 26% | 16% |
| Quotes (59) | 63% | 12% | 5% | 17% |
| Recipe (46) | 37% | 35% | 17% | 9% |
Relatable posts, rankings and recipes: short lines over busy photos, where a thin black edge keeps white text readable.
Stories and guides, which carry the most words. A box keeps a long line readable on any photo.
The first colour named in a style note: white in 69%, black in 16%, any other colour in 10%.
From the style notes of 1,320 viral slideshows; post counts in brackets, posts without text left out. Red marks the most used style after plain.
The rarer fonts, on viral slideshows. Tap to swipe through.
The TikTok look in Canva, CapCut and Figma.
Designing slides outside the app? Use TikTok Sans and copy the effects, and they look native.
Canva
Search the font list for TikTok Sans. If it isn't there, download it and upload it (font uploads need a paid Canva plan); Montserrat is the free fallback.
The Effects panel has Outline and Background, which give you TikTok's outline and box.
CapCut
Use TikTok Sans if your version lists it, or the plainest sans. The text settings have stroke, background and shadow, which cover every TikTok look.
Figma
Figma lists Google Fonts, so search for TikTok Sans; otherwise install it on your computer. Add a stroke to the text layer for the outline, or put a rounded rectangle behind it for the box.
What about "fancy text" generators?
The copy-and-paste font sites don't change your font. They swap your letters for look-alike Unicode symbols, which is why they work in a bio, comment or caption where TikTok gives you no font choice.
The cost: search treats those symbols as different characters, so a styled word won't match what people type into TikTok search, and screen readers spell them out or skip them. Some phones show empty boxes. Use one for a single decorative word at most, never for keywords.
Questions about TikTok fonts.
What is the font used on TikTok called?
TikTok Sans. TikTok introduced it in May 2023, made with Grilli Type, and uses it across the app and for the Classic text style. Before that the app used Proxima Nova.
What font does TikTok use for captions?
The caption under a post and TikTok's auto captions both show in the app's font, TikTok Sans. You can't change it; only the text you add on photos or video has font options.
What is the closest font to the TikTok font?
TikTok Sans itself, which is free under an open font licence. For the pre-2023 Proxima Nova look, Montserrat SemiBold is the common free match.
What font do most TikToks use?
Classic. In 1,320 viral slideshows, 74% use a plain sans serif like TikTok's own, mostly in white (69%).
What is the best font for TikTok captions and text?
Classic in white, with an outline over busy photos or a box for long lines. It's what most viral slideshows use.
How do I get the TikTok text font?
Download TikTok Sans from Google Fonts or tiktok.com/font and install it, or upload it to Canva or Figma. It's free, including for commercial use.
Can I add other fonts to TikTok's editor?
No. You can only pick from TikTok's list. For a different font, design the slide in another app and upload it as a photo.
Keep reading
The right text on every slide, written for your app.
ClonBot starts from a slideshow that already went viral, keeps its text style, length and hook, and writes a new story where your app shows up on the phone. You approve, it posts.
Setting up your app and creator is free. Plans from $99 a month for 30 posts.