Tech

How To Use TikTok’s Clear Mode

The feature would let you watch videos without distractions.

Blonde Caucasian woman taking a selfie using her smartphone. TikTok is testing a new clear mode for ...
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There’s nothing worse than reading a hilarious “one thing about me” post on TikTok, only for the text to be covered by the poster’s username or the like and comment buttons. While TikTokers have gotten innovative with workarounds like “crop?” requests, the future of viewing TikToks could be much brighter. And clearer.

According to TechCrunch, TikTok appears to have begun testing a new “clear mode” feature in late May. The feature aims to provide a cleaner, distraction-free way of viewing TikToks by allowing users to hide buttons and text visible on the side of their screen. The feature is currently in testing phase, which means that has only been rolled out to a select group of users.

If you’re ready to get a crystal clear view on what a distraction-free TikTok can look like, here’s everything you need to know about TikTok’s “clear mode.”

How Would TikTok Clear Mode Work?

According to The Verge, clear mode works on a video-by-video basis, meaning that users must manually enable clear mode on each video they watch, rather than being able to scroll using clear mode. Users can enable clear mode by pressing down on a video, then tapping “Clear mode” under the “Add to Favorites” button.

Once you enable clear mode, all visual features will be hidden besides the video. So, you can watch a TikTok in full screen without any interference from overlaid buttons or captioning.

The Verge notes that it is not possible to screen record while using clear mode, which is likely to prevent users from stealing content. So, if you were hoping to use clear mode to record videos without the watermark that appears when you save a video, you’ll have to keep requesting a crop.

Why Don’t I Have Clear Mode on TikTok?

Clear mode is currently being tested by TikTok, which means that it is currently only available to a select group of users. So, if you can’t seem to figure out how to enable clear mode, it’s likely because the feature is not yet available to you. To see if you have clear mode on TikTok, long press on a video to see if the option for clear mode appears in the pop-up menu. If not, you’ll have to wait and see if the test rolls out more widely.

For now, sit tight and try not to let those pesky like and comment buttons get you too stressed.