How to archive a TikTok

TikTok does not currently have an official “Archive” feature like Instagram’s post archive, but you can still hide your videos from the public without deleting them. By adjusting privacy settings, you can keep your content saved on your profile while making it invisible to others. This approach works like archiving because the video remains accessible only to you. This guide explains all the methods you can use to “archive” a TikTok and keep your content private.

Table of Contents

What Does “Archiving” a TikTok Mean?

Since TikTok does not include a dedicated Archive folder, archiving refers to hiding a video so only you can see it. The main goals of archiving are:

Keeping your video without deleting it
• Preventing others from viewing or sharing it
• Saving drafts for later editing or posting
• Removing videos from your public profile while keeping them stored privately

Using TikTok’s built-in privacy settings, you can easily accomplish this.

Method 1: Change Video Visibility to “Only Me”

This is the closest method to archiving a TikTok. The video stays posted, but no one except you can view it.

Method 2: Set the Video to Private Before Posting

If you’re not yet ready to share a video, you can archive it right from the posting screen.

Record or upload a video as usual.
On the posting page, scroll to the option Who can watch this video.
Select Only Me.
Post the video.

It will appear in your Private tab, allowing you to edit, rewatch, or make it public later.

Method 3: Save a Video as a Draft Instead of Posting It

Drafts are another effective way to archive content you don’t want others to see.

Open TikTok and tap the plus icon to create a video.
Record or upload footage.
Instead of posting, tap Save draft.

The video will be stored in your Drafts folder on your device. Drafts are private and never uploaded to TikTok’s servers, which means:

Only you can view them
• They are deleted if you uninstall the TikTok app
• They do not appear on your public profile

This makes drafts a safe method for keeping videos privately archived.

Method 4: Remove a Video From Public View Without Deleting It

If you want to hide a video but keep its data (likes, comments, captions, analytics), using the Only Me option is ideal. However, if your goal is more like “soft deleting,” you can:

Download the video to your device
• Delete it from TikTok
• Reupload privately later if needed

This isn’t true archiving inside the app, but it preserves the file.

Where to Find Your Archived (Private) TikTok Videos

Videos you set to Only Me are stored in a dedicated section.

Go to your Profile page.
Look for the lock icon labeled Private videos.
Open the folder to view all archived videos.

Only you can access this section; no followers or visitors can see these videos.

Why Archive a TikTok Instead of Deleting It?

Archiving is useful because:

You may want to republish the video later
• You can keep your video’s editing work
• Trends change, and you may want to repost
• You avoid deleting memories or content you worked on
• It helps clean up your profile without losing your work

Archiving gives you flexibility while protecting your content.

Common Issues and How to Fix Them

Here are frequent problems users face when trying to archive TikTok videos:

The “Only Me” option does not appear
– Update the TikTok app to the newest version.
Draft videos disappeared
– Drafts are stored locally; uninstalling the app removes them permanently.
Archived videos still show up publicly
– Double-check privacy settings; sometimes changes may not save if your internet connection is unstable.
Can’t find the Private folder
– It appears only when at least one video is set to Only Me.

ALSO READ: How to add a TikTok shop link