Does TikTok have a boomerang filter?
TikTok doesn’t document one. Its editing help lists trim, Split, rearrange, zoom and Speed, and its effects pages don’t list a boomerang or reverse effect. Make the boomerang first and upload it.
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How to make a boomerang on TikTok
TikTok’s current editor documents trim, split and speed, but not reverse. Build the boomerang first, then upload it as a 9:16 video.
The dependable way to put a boomerang on TikTok is to make it before you open TikTok: bounce the clip here as a 9:16 MP4, save it to your phone, then tap + in TikTok and Upload it. TikTok’s own help pages describe trimming, Split and Speed in the editor, but no reverse or boomerang tool, so the forward-and-back loop can’t be built reliably inside the app.
Older tutorials point to a Reverse option under Effects → Time. Some versions of the app may still have it, but TikTok doesn’t document it any more, and it reverses the whole clip rather than playing forwards then backwards. Making the boomerang first also lets you choose the exact moment, the speed and the number of bounces, and then add TikTok sounds and text on top as usual. For a reverse-and-duplicate approach in an editor, see the CapCut guide.
How to put a boomerang on TikTok
Make the boomerang
Open your clip here, drag the window on the strip to the moment, set Shape to 9:16 and choose a Style. Under Export settings, raise Loop to 4 or 5 Bounces; TikTok loops videos anyway, but a few bounces make it read clearly.
(enlarge image) Rewind chosen for a portrait clip, which is already 9:16.
Save it to your phone
Press Export boomerang, then Share or save to Photos, and save the video.
Upload it in TikTok
In TikTok, tap +, then Upload, and pick the boomerang from your gallery.
Add sound and text, then post
Add a sound from TikTok’s library, text or stickers as you would for any video. The boomerang’s own audio is off unless you turned Sound on before exporting.
What TikTok’s editor can and can’t do
According to TikTok’s help pages on editing, the clip tools are trimming, Split, rearranging clips, zoom and Speed (Normal or Curve). Those are useful around a boomerang (speeding it up, or cutting it into a longer edit), but none of them plays a clip backwards.
If your version of the app shows Effects → Time → Reverse, you can build a rough boomerang by recording the moment twice in one video and reversing a copy, but third-party guides report it reverses the picture only, and the result depends on the app version. Making the loop first is quicker and works the same on every phone.
Settings that suit TikTok
- Shape: 9:16, so it fills the screen without black bars.
- Size: Large (1080 × 1920 from a portrait or landscape clip with enough resolution).
- Loop: 4 to 6 Bounces, which gives a few seconds of video.
- Style: Rewind suits fast, punchy edits; Slow-mo suits music-led clips.
- Sound: leave it off if you plan to add a TikTok sound, so the two don’t clash.
Using a boomerang inside a longer TikTok
- Export the boomerang with 2 or 3 Bounces.
- In TikTok, tap +, Upload, and select it along with your other clips.
- Arrange the clips in the editor and post.
A short boomerang works well as an opening hook or a beat-matched cut between longer shots.
TikTok boomerang questions
Where is the Reverse effect on TikTok?
Older guides place it under Effects → Time. It isn’t in TikTok’s current help pages, so it may be missing in your version. A boomerang made here doesn’t depend on it.
Will TikTok loop my boomerang?
TikTok replays videos automatically in the feed, so even one bounce loops. A few bounces in the file make the effect obvious before the replay.
Can I use a TikTok sound with my boomerang?
Yes. Upload the boomerang, then add a sound in TikTok’s editor as usual. Keep Sound off when you export here so the clip’s own audio doesn’t compete.
Can I make a boomerang from a TikTok I already posted?
Only if you still have the original video on your phone. Open it here, pick the moment, export and upload it as a new post.