Your TikTok video is stuck on “Processing” and won’t finish uploading?!
Or it shows a spinning wheel for hours with no progress!!
Maybe it says “Processing video…” but never actually posts, or the upload just freezes completely. This is driving me insane honestly… Your content is ready and TikTok won’t process it!! What the fuck is happening?!
Why Videos Get Stuck Processing
TikTok’s processing gets stuck for several technical reasons – here’s what blocks your uploads!!
Common processing blockers:
- Weak internet connection – Upload incomplete or interrupted
- File too large or corrupt – TikTok can’t process the video
- Server overload – TikTok experiencing high traffic
- Wrong video format – Codec not supported properly
- App cache corrupted – Blocking upload completion
- Video too long – Processing takes longer for 10min videos
- Background data restrictions – Phone killing upload process
And let’s force this video through with the restart trick, I’m not going to lie this works like 90% of the time…
The Upload Restart Trick
If video is stuck processing for more than 5 minutes, don’t wait – force restart the upload!!
How to restart upload: Force close TikTok app completely. Wait 30 seconds minimum. Reopen TikTok app. Go to Profile > Drafts. Find the stuck video. Delete it from drafts, for real.
Then re-upload the SAME video fresh from your camera roll. Add caption and settings again. Post it – should process normally this time.
Why this works: Clears the corrupted upload session. Removes stuck processing flag. Starts completely fresh upload, bet.
Don’t keep waiting on stuck video – after 5-10 minutes it’s never finishing. Restart is only solution 😉
Check TikTok’s official upload help page for more info.
Check Your Internet Connection
Unstable or slow internet is THE #1 reason videos get stuck processing!!
Test connection: Open browser and load YouTube or Instagram. If those are slow?? Your internet is the problem. Switch from WiFi to mobile data or vice versa.
TikTok needs CONSISTENT connection to finish processing. Even one brief disconnect can freeze the upload permanently.
Best practices: Use strong WiFi (not public WiFi). Keep TikTok app open and screen on. Don’t switch apps while processing!!
If connection drops mid-upload, video gets stuck processing forever and you have to restart entire upload process 🙁
Having other TikTok upload stuck problems? That’s related but different issue, lowkey…
Wait 10 Minutes Before Restarting
Longer videos (5-10 minutes) take WAY longer to process – be patient before restarting!!
Processing times: Short videos (under 1 min): 1-3 minutes usually. Medium videos (1-3 min): 3-7 minutes. Long videos (3-10 min): 10-20 minutes or more, for real.
If you uploaded 10-minute video and it’s been processing for 5 minutes?? That’s actually NORMAL. Don’t restart yet – give it 15-20 minutes total before force restarting.
How to know if actually stuck: Processing bar frozen in exact same spot for 10+ minutes. Time estimate not updating at all. App says “Almost done” for 15+ minutes. Upload started over an hour ago with no progress, bet.
If any of those apply?? It’s legitimately stuck and needs restart. Otherwise just wait it out 😉
Having other TikTok upload stuck problems? That’s related but different issue, lowkey…
Clear TikTok App Cache
Corrupted cache files cause stuck processing – clearing this fixes the problem!!
Clear cache on Android: Settings > Apps > TikTok > Storage > Clear Cache (NOT Clear Data). Restart TikTok. Try uploading again.
Clear cache on iPhone: iOS doesn’t have built-in cache clear. You have to DELETE TikTok app completely. Reinstall from App Store. Log back in. Try uploading video again!!
After clearing cache, uploads process way faster because app isn’t dealing with corrupted temporary data, deadass.
Dealing with TikTok storage issues? Check our cache cleaning guide…
Reduce Video File Size
Massive video files take forever to process or get stuck completely!!
TikTok limits: Maximum 287.6 MB file size, maximum 10 minutes length. Videos over 200MB process MUCH slower.
If your video is huge file (150MB+)?? Compress it before uploading.
How to compress: Use Video Compress app (iPhone) or Video Compressor (Android). Choose “Medium” quality compression. Upload compressed version.
Compressed videos process in 2-5 minutes instead of 20+ minutes. Way less likely to get stuck, for real.
Check Video Format Compatibility
Wrong video format causes processing to freeze!!
Best formats: MP4 (best compatibility), MOV (works on iPhone). These process fastest and rarely get stuck.
Problem formats: AVI, MKV, WMV, FLV. TikTok struggles with these and they often freeze during processing, no cap.
If you imported video from camera or edited in third-party app?? Check the format. Convert to MP4 before uploading 😉
Having trouble with TikTok video editor glitching? That’s related to app performance…
Disable Battery Optimization
Your phone might be killing TikTok in background to save battery – this stops processing!!
Android settings: Settings > Apps > TikTok > Battery > Unrestricted. Or Settings > Battery > Battery optimization > TikTok > Don’t optimize.
This prevents Android from suspending TikTok while video processes, bet.
iPhone settings: Settings > General > Background App Refresh > TikTok > ON. Prevents iOS from pausing TikTok.
After changing these, videos process completely even if you lock phone or switch apps.
Upload From Drafts Instead
If direct upload keeps getting stuck, save to drafts FIRST then post from drafts!!
How to use drafts: Create video in TikTok. Add edits, text, effects. Instead of clicking Post, click Drafts. Video saves locally.
Later, open Drafts and click the video. Add caption and settings. Click Post – processes way more reliably, highkey effective honestly.
Why drafts work better: Video already edited and rendered. No additional processing needed. Smaller chance of corruption, deadass.
Check TikTok Server Status
Sometimes TikTok’s servers are broken and processing fails for EVERYONE!!
Check if TikTok down: Go to downdetector.com/status/tiktok. Check TikTok’s Twitter. Ask friends if their uploads work.
If TikTok having widespread server issues?? Processing will be stuck or super slow for hours. Just wait it out and try later, for real.
What to do: Save video to drafts instead of trying to post. Wait 1-2 hours for servers to stabilize!!
Edit Video Before Uploading
Small edits to video file can fix hidden corruption that causes stuck processing!!
Quick edit tricks: Trim 1 second off beginning or end. Add simple filter in phone’s editor. Re-export video from editing app. This re-encodes file and fixes corrupted data, no cap.
The “new” edited file uploads and processes fine even though original was stuck.
Wrapping This Up
First thing – if video stuck processing for more than 10 minutes, just restart the upload, I’m not playing!! Force close TikTok, delete stuck video from drafts, re-upload fresh, bet.
Check your internet connection is stable BEFORE uploading. Weak or unstable WiFi causes 80% of stuck processing issues. Use strong WiFi or mobile data, deadass.
Clear TikTok’s cache to remove corrupted files… Android users clear cache in settings, iPhone users reinstall app. This fixes processing issues immediately, for real.
Compress large video files before uploading. Videos over 200MB take forever to process and often get stuck. Use compression app to reduce file size first.
And disable battery optimization for TikTok so your phone doesn’t kill the upload mid-process. Settings > Apps > TikTok > Battery > Unrestricted, lowkey essential honestly.
If this guide helped you finally post that video after watching it stuck on processing forever, share it with other creators fighting with TikTok’s broken-ass upload system!!
