If you’ve noticed that your TikTok app isn’t displaying videos properly, with the clips appearing fuzzy, pixelated, or just plain white or black, don’t worry – you’re not alone.
Many TikTok users have reported running into the frustrating “clear display” problem, where videos don’t display correctly despite the Clear Display mode being enabled.
Fortunately, some troubleshooting solutions should help get your TikTok app back up and running smoothly in no time
Why Is TikTok Clear Display Not Working?
Before diving into fixes, it helps to understand what might be causing the TikTok clear display issue in the first place.
Here are the most common reasons:
Connection Issues
Like any streaming app, TikTok relies on having a strong and stable internet connection to properly load video content.
If your connection is slow, experiencing latency, or cutting in and out, that can disrupt video playback and make clips appear pixelated, blurred or just fail to load entirely.
Temporary TikTok Outages
Once in a while, TikTok experiences platform-wide technical issues that result in videos not loading or displaying properly. These outages are often resolved within hours.
Software Bugs and Glitches
With new TikTok updates deployed constantly, sometimes buggy code inadvertently gets introduced that causes video playback glitches for some users.
Likewise, general software crashes or freezes can also sometimes garble the video display.
App Caching and Memory Issues
Over time, issues like too much cached data or full memory can cause performance hiccups that manifest as display problems with videos suddenly not loading correctly in the app.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing TikTok Clear Display
Now that you know what’s likely behind the scenes when TikTok videos won’t display properly, let’s go through each troubleshooting step you can take to get your TikTok feed looking crisp again!
Follow these troubleshooting steps, moving down the list until your TikTok clear display starts working properly:
1. Double-Check Your Internet Connection
Since TikTok relies on streaming video from the internet, an unstable internet connection often manifests as pixelated, blurry or failed video playback.
To rule out a weak/spotty connection:
- Launch a browser on your mobile device
- Navigate to a website like speedtest.net.
- This site will test your actual internet speeds
- Check that you have at least 5Mbps download speeds
If your internet is slow or keeps cutting out during testing, this likely explains the TikTok display issues. Try these fixes:
- Move closer to your WiFi router to strengthen the signal
- Disable any bandwidth-hogging apps temporarily
- Try toggling Airplane mode on/off to pick up a fresh signal
- Contact your ISP if you consistently have slow speeds
Once your connection is stable, reload TikTok to see if it displays properly.
2. Check if TikTok is Currently Experiencing Outages
Sometimes display issues arise because TikTok’s servers themselves are malfunctioning, preventing videos from loading right.
To check for known problems:
- Navigate to Downdetector.com in a mobile browser
- Downdetector tracks the status of popular websites and apps
- Search for “TikTok” and click on it when it appears
- The graph and user reports indicate any current outages.
If the site shows spikes in reported TikTok problems, try waiting an hour and testing again. Global outages are typically resolved quickly.
3. Restart the TikTok App
Often a simple app restart is all that’s needed to reset minor software glitches that could be interfering with video playback.
- Swipe up from the bottom of your phone to bring up the multitasking view.
- Locate the TikTok app preview.
- Swipe up on the TikTok preview to close out of the app completely
- Tap on the TikTok icon again to relaunch it fresh
- Try viewing videos again normally
Restarting kicks the app session back to square one, refreshing everything cleanly.
4. Force Close the TikTok App
If an app restart doesn’t help, more drastic action by force closing TikTok may do the trick.
- Swipe up for multitasking view and locate TikTok
- Instead of swiping up to close normally, long press on the TikTok preview
- A pop-up menu will appear – select “App Info”
- In App Info > tap “Force Stop” to force close TikTok
- Tap your device’s Back button to return to the main view
- Launch TikTok again and test if videos now display fine
Force stopping actually kicks all TikTok processes out of memory completely, acting like a deeper restart to clear any stubborn glitches.
6. Update the TikTok App
With TikTok releasing constant app updates, running an outdated version can also create issues with video playback working correctly.
Here’s how to update TikTok:
- Open the Google Play Store or Apple App Store on your phone
- Tap on your profile icon > My Apps & Games
- Under “Updates Pending” check if TikTok has an update available
- If yes, tap Update next to TikTok
- Once the latest version is installed, relaunch TikTok
- Current version info displays under your profile > Settings & privacy page
Updating brings you to the latest release containing bug and performance fixes needed to stream properly.
7. Clear the TikTok App Cache
Over time, cached TikTok data taking up space can end up corrupted. Wiping this gives the app a clean slate.
On Android:
- Open device Settings > Apps > TikTok.
- Select “Storage and cache” then tap on “Clear Cache.”
- Return to the main view and open TikTok again.
Alternatively, you can clear TikTok cache through the app’s settings. To do this:
- Open your TikTok profile and tap on the hamburger icon (☰) in the upper right corner.
- Tap on “Settings and privacy.”
- Choose “Free up space” under the “Cache & Cellular” tab.
- Tap the “Clear” button next to “Cache” to clear the cache.
On iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap “General.”
- Tap “iPhone Storage” then proceed to select “TikTok” in the list of apps.
- Tap “Offload App” if available. This frees up storage space by removing the app’s data but keeps the app itself installed.
Clearing the cache removes any suspect cached video content that could be interfering with display.
8. Reinstall the TikTok App
If no other steps have resolved the display issues, fully uninstalling and reinstalling TikTok gives you the most thorough refresh possible.
On iOS:
- Locate and long press the TikTok icon until icons shake
- Tap the X icon above TikTok to uninstall
- Open the App Store and redownload TikTok
- Restart your iPhone after installing for good measure
On Android:
- Open Settings > Apps > TikTok
- Tap Uninstall > OK to confirm
- Open Play Store and reinstall TikTok
- Make sure to allow all requested app permissions
Reinstallation gives you a 100% clean TikTok slate eliminating any corrupted files that may be interfering.
9. Restart Your Mobile Device
As a last resort, perform a full reboot of your mobile device in case fixes need to propagate at the system level.
On iPhone:
- Hold Power + Volume Down buttons for ~10 seconds
- Let go when you see the logo appear/disappear
- iPhone will boot back up normally
On Android:
- Hold down the Power button for ~30 seconds
- A full device reboot will commence
- Allow ~2 minutes for full restart
This wipes out temporary memory issues and other software glitches unrelated to TikTok itself.
10. Contact TikTok Support
If no combination of the above troubleshooting has restored proper clear video playback in TikTok:
- Open the TikTok app and visit your Profile
- Tap the three Lines menu icon (☰).
- Tap on “Settings and Privacy.”
- Choose Report a Problem from the menu.
- Look for the “Submit a report” link at the bottom of the TikTok help page and tap on it.
- Complete the support request form with details on the problem
TikTok support should investigate any persisting display bugs not resolvable through standard troubleshooting. Support may also escalate or patch unresolved underlying issues.
With TikTok being one of the top apps worldwide for entertainment, having your video stream interrupted can definitely be frustrating.
But some quick systematic troubleshooting of common issues will hopefully get your feed looking crystal clear once again.
