A beginner’s guide to using TikTok in Uganda

A beginner's guide to using TikTok in Uganda
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Do you want to create videos using TikTok in Uganda? You are in the right place. TikTok started as a lip-syncing music video app, when it merged with Musically, but it has now integrated more features, you can now open the app and view as many videos as your data or wifi connection can let you.

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Let’s talk more about TikTok.

First, to use this app, Download it on Google Play Store or App Store

Once you have the app, you can open it and scroll through the app to view available videos. All these videos are no more than 15 seconds.

You can follow people on the app, and you’ll get notifications of their new videos each time you open the app. Before you can follow anyone, you shall be required to create a TikTok account.

TikTok requires that the user is atleast 8 years old.

Contents

Creating a TikTok Account

Download tiktok app

If you are a new user, most of the icons you press in the app will direct you to create an account first in order to have access to the features.

You can sign in using your telephone number or email address, or even your Facebook or Twitter account.

If you already have an account, you can just press Login, right at the bottom.

You’ll be asked to type your birthday, and you can scroll through the dates until you get your birth date.

NOTE: The app requires you to be at least 12, for you to have an account. This does not mean you cannot browse around the app if you don’t have an account or if you’re not yet 12. You can.

Your TikTok account will be ready once you verify your details by typing the code sent to your phone number or whatever credentials you used to create your account.

The Home Tab

This tab comes first at the bottom. You can click on the Home tab when you need to view other people’s videos.

One you’re viewing a person’s video and you wish to view all their other videos, you can just slide left and you will be checked into that person’s profile page, where you will find a collection of their videos.

If you wish to follow them, you can press the Follow button.

You can go ahead and click on those you’d like to watch and while you watch, you are at liberty to like the video using the like(love) icon, you could comment if you click on the 3 dots on the video, you can also save the video to your other apps externally by sharing.

Create tiktok videos Uganda

The Search icon

Once you click the search button, you can see some of the trending hashtags, scroll through them and check them out if you want.

You can also use this button to look up someone or people that you would like to follow. If you type in their names, you will get options for many users, and from those, you can choose the one you were looking for.

The message tab

Here, you will get notifications that are directed to your account, plus all other messages that people night send you while you live on this app.

The profile icon

If you want your profile to look impressive, you can go ahead and edit it through.

There will be an option of Edit Profile which you can use to add your profile picture or add a profile video.

You can also change your user name if you want.

You can also add the links to your Instagram or YouTube.

Feel free to also add a description that talks about you or simply what you’re interested in.

Once you’re all set, you can go ahead and press Save.

Your profile will show your following, your followers, and how many hearts you’ve received for your videos.

At the upper most corner of your profile, you can press the three dots that will lead you to your Privacy and Settings, where you can navigate the options and set what you desire for your account.

Still on your profile, there is a plus sign that you can click to add and invite people to the app.

How to create a video on TikTok

How to create a video on TikTok in Uganda
  1. Tap the Add(plus) icon at the bottom of your screen.
  2. Grant access to your camera
  3. Grant access to your microphone

Tiktok features to make your videos fun

At the right-hand side;

The camera has options such as the flip option, which flips the camera.

Next is the speed option that can have you record in fast or slow mode.

The next one is the beauty option which smoothes out some of the details of your video, which you can put on or off.

Next is the filter option fom which you can always choose a filter you want to use.

Then you also have the Timer that you can press if you want to do a countdown.

There is also a More option that has things like, turn off flash.

At the bottom:

If you press and hold the big red button, you will start to record a video.

If you take off your finger, it will stop recording.

Or if it hits 15 seconds, it won’t go further than that.

To delete a segment that’s been recorded, press x, still at the bottom, and it shall go away. You can also create multiple segments if you wish.

Still at the bottom, you can choose a photo template from the options given.

You also have a 60-second video option, in case you’d like to create much longer videos.

There is the Upload option next to the record option. Here, you can upload videos that you will have recorded. In order to do this, you have to go to settings and give access to your photo library.

You can always trim the videos you are uploading. TikTok lets you do that. You have the options of effects, transitions and a wealth of the editing options, such as adding text… all at the grid.

You can go ahead and add a description to your video, add a hashtag, tag some friends and what not. Set your desired audience (who can view your video).

You can also share your video to other platforms.

At the top;

As you attempt to add a video to your profile, you can click on add song, there will be a list of the songs you can choose from.

Choose your desired song and press the check mark.

You can also search for the song you want under trending and you’ll get it.

You can now listen to the song as it plays and start recording to the tune of that song. Dancing or lip syncing to that song- this is how it’s done.

When you let go of the record button, the song will play with your video, you can add filters and other editing if you like

Conclusion

If there is an app that has saved the quarantine in Uganda, other than Twitter, it’s been TikTok… all the way. It is suitable for Generation Z. Here we are. Let’s TikTok.

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