What was the original maximum video length on TikTok when it launched?

When TikTok launched, its original maximum video length was 15 seconds.

ByteDance released TikTok’s Chinese predecessor, Douyin, in September 2016, and the international TikTok app followed as a short-form video service. The 15-second limit encouraged quick lip-syncs, jokes, dance routines, and music-driven clips that viewers could watch repeatedly in a scrolling feed.

That limit was later expanded as creators began asking for more room for tutorials, storytelling, comedy, and other formats. TikTok first moved to 60-second videos, then introduced three-minute videos in 2021 and longer options afterward. Those changes helped the platform compete more directly with YouTube and other video services.

The 15-second figure describes the original launch-era limit, not the duration of every early TikTok post. Some features and imported content could involve different formats, and TikTok’s maximum length has changed repeatedly. The historical answer remains 15 seconds.