How long do TikTok stories last?

The 24-hour clock

Every story has its own clock. A story posted at 9am disappears at 9am the next day; one posted at 6pm lasts until 6pm. When an account has several stories, they expire one by one, in the order they were posted.

That is why ViewTikStory’s story viewer shows two times on every story: how long ago it was posted and how long it has left. If you want to keep something, save the one closest to expiring first.

What happens after 24 hours

The story is removed from the profile, from followers’ feeds and from public data. No third-party tool can fetch it any more, because there is nothing left to fetch. Sites that claim to show “deleted” or “expired” TikTok stories are either showing a highlight, a reposted copy, or nothing at all.

Two ways a story outlives 24 hours

1. It was pinned as a highlight. Creators can add stories to named collections on their profile, and those stay until removed. Use the highlights viewer to see them - more in our guide to TikTok highlights.
2. Someone saved a copy. The creator may keep their own stories in an archive in the app, and anyone can download an active public story before it expires with a story downloader.

Can a creator delete a story early?

Yes. A creator can delete a story at any point within the 24 hours, and it disappears immediately. That is another reason to save a story as soon as you find one you want to keep.

Saving your own stories

If you post stories yourself, back them up before they expire: enter your own username in the story downloader and save them all in one tap, or pin the ones you want to keep as highlights in the app.