If you’ve used TikTok for a while, you’ve probably noticed a lot of videos utilizing the Green Screen Effect on their videos.
But how do you get the effect and use it for your own videos?
Hint: You don’t actually need to use a real green screen.
You can use the Green Screen Effect on the TikTok app itself without actually requiring a green screen.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to get the Green Screen Effect on TikTok, and how to use it in your videos.
How to get the Green Screen Effect on TikTok
To get the Green Screen Effect on TikTok, tap on the “+” icon, tap on “Effects”, and download the Green Screen Effect on the “Hot” section.
There are two Green Screen Effects on TikTok—one for photos, and one for videos.
If you want to use a photo as your background, select the Effect with the two photos overlapping with each other.
On the other hand, if you want to use a video as your background, select the landscape Icon with the play button and an arrow.
Here’s how to get the greens screen effect on TikTok:
1. Open TikTok and tap on the “+” icon
Open TikTok and tap on the “+” icon to create a new video.

After you tapped on the “+” icon, you’ll land on the recording screen.
2. Tap on “Effects”
Next, tap on “Effects” on the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Once you tapped on “Effects”, the Effects menu will open where you can download the Green Screen Effect.
3. Download the Green Screen Effect(s)
Lastly, download the Green Screen Effect(s) on the “Hot” section.

The icon on the left is for a video background while the one on the right is for a photo background.
It’s usually located on the second or third row of the effects.
If you can’t find it, try scrolling further down until you find the icon with a green landscape, a play button, and an arrow or the icon with two overlapping photos.
If you still can’t find the effect, you might not have the latest version of TikTok.
To fix this, make sure to update TikTok to the latest version.
Here’s how you can update TikTok using an Android device:
- Open the Google Play Store and tap on the “Menu” icon on the top-left hand corner of the screen.
- Tap on “My apps & games”.
- Search for TikTok and update it (if you can’t find it, then you already have the latest version installed).
Here’s how you can update TikTok using an iPhone:
- Open the App Store.
- Tap on the “Profile” icon on the top-right hand corner of the screen.
- Scroll down, find TikTok, and tap on “Update” to update the app to the latest version.
If you haven’t updated TikTok in a while, the effect might not be available for you.
However, if you updated TikTok and you still can’t find the effect, here’s what you can do:
Search for a video that used the Green Screen Effect.

If you still can’t find the Green Screen Effect, search for the “greenscreen” hashtag on TikTok, and open the search results.
Find a video that used the effect, and there should be a small button that says, “Green Screen” under it.
Tap on “Green Screen” to record a video of yourself using the effect.
How to use the Green Screen Effect on TikTok

To use the Green Screen Effect on TikTok, select one of your existing photos from your gallery.
Then, give photo access to TikTok, otherwise, you can’t use your own photos.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to enable photo access for TikTok on an iPhone:
- Open your Settings, scroll all the way down, and find TikTok.
- Tap on TikTok.
- Tap on Photos, then tap on “Read and Write”.
You can also use the photo that TikTok gave you, but most people don’t do that.
Here’s how to use the green screen on TikTok:
1. Select a photo for your Green Screen
Firstly, select a photo from the photo slider (which is retrieved from your photo gallery).
While you’re using the effect, you can adjust yourself in the video by expanding, shrinking, or moving your image.

This will be the first photo that you’ll be using for your Green Screen video.
2. Select the timer
Next, you can select the timer feature if you’re recording yourself. You don’t have to use the timer if there’s someone recording for you.
Drag the timer to set the recording limit (e.g. 3 seconds).
Setting the timer will stop your video from recording after a certain time limit so you can record another part.
3. Hit record
Tap on the record button (square in a circle) to record your video. Tap on the record button again to stop the video.

Tip: Double-tap the screen while recording to hide yourself.
To show yourself, double-tap the screen again.
After you stopped the video, you can record another part of the video using a different photo.
Note: Don’t tap on the tick unless you’re completely done with recording.
4. Select another photo and repeat the process
You can select another photo from your gallery to record the next part of your video.

Do that by selecting another photo on the photo slider.
Repeat steps 1 to 4 again until you’re finished recording the entire video (with multiple photos).
How do I get the green screen on TikTok?
Tap on the “+” icon > Effects > Hot. Then, tap on the Effect with the two overlapping photos (for a photo background) or the landscape icon with the play button and an arrow (for a video background) to get them.
How do I use the green screen on TikTok?
Select a photo for your Green Screen > use the timer (if you’re recording yourself) > hit the record button > select another photo > repeat the steps until you’re done.
Why can’t I find the green screen on TikTok?
If you still can’t find the Green Screen Effect, search for the “greenscreen” hashtag on TikTok, and open the search results.
Find a video that used the effect, and there should be a small button that says, “Green Screen” under it.
Tap on “Green Screen” to record a video of yourself using the effect.
How to make a green screen on TikTok with multiple photos
To make a green screen on TikTok with multiple photos, record the first part of your video using the first photo, tap on the record button to pause the recording, then select another photo and record the next part of your video.
How do you put a video in the background of a TikTok?
On the Effects list, select the icon with a landscape, play button, and an arrow to put a video in the background.
How do you get a background on TikTok?
Tap on the “+” icon > Effects > Hot. On the second row, select the Effect with a landscape, play button and arrow to put a video as a background.
Select the effect with the overlapping photos to put a picture as a background.
Further Reading
How to Get on The “For You” Page on TikTok