How to Make a Slideshow on TikTok: Step-by-Step Guide

How to make a slideshow on TikTok comes down to picking one of two formats: Photo Mode, which you swipe through, or a template, which plays automatically like a video. Both start from the same "+" button on the home screen.

TikTok Has Two Slideshow Formats

TikTok actually offers two distinct slideshow formats — the swipeable one is sometimes called a TikTok carousel — and people often only discover this after already starting one.

The platform is fundamentally built around short-form video, according to Wikipedia, which is part of why a dedicated photo-posting option still catches long-time users off guard.

With TikTok's global user base now past a billion, according to data from Statista, that's a sizable audience for a feature plenty of people don't even know exists. In practice, most people land on whichever format TikTok defaults to, rather than choosing intentionally, which is part of why mixing them up is so common.

How to Make a Slideshow on TikTok Using Photo Mode

Start a New Post

Open TikTok and tap the + icon at the bottom of the screen, then choose Upload to bring up your camera roll.

Select and Order Your Photos

Tap Select Multiple and choose your photos in the order you want them to appear — TikTok keeps that exact sequence in the final post.

Switch to Photo Mode

After tapping Next, TikTok often defaults to Video mode first. Look for the option to switch to Photo mode — you'll know it worked when small dots appear under the preview, marking separate swipeable slides. Skip this step and you'll end up with a video instead. In practice, this is the step most people miss the first time.

Edit Each Slide

Tap between the photo thumbnails at the bottom to edit each slide individually — add text, filters, or stickers, and drag thumbnails to reorder if needed.

Add Audio and Post

Tap Add Sound to choose a track for your slideshow; it plays in full while the viewer swipes, regardless of how long that takes. Add a caption, set who can see the post, and tap Post — or save it as a draft if you're not ready yet.

How to Make a Slideshow on TikTok Using a Template

Choose a Template

Tap +, then Templates, and pick one that matches roughly how many photos you have. Each template comes with its own preset timing and transitions.

Add Your Photos

Select your images in the order you want them to play — the template handles the pacing for you.

Adjust Music and Text

Templates come with a default song already attached, but you can swap it from the sound icon. Add text to each slide afterward, checking spelling and alignment before moving on.

Preview and Post

Watch the whole thing through once, then check a few individual slides on their own — small mistakes are easier to catch this way. When it looks right, add a caption and post. Teams that post slideshows regularly tend to preview twice, once as a whole and once slide by slide, since errors that aren't obvious at full speed can still show up after posting.

Making a TikTok Slideshow on PC

TikTok's desktop uploader doesn't include a Photo Mode switch, so you can't build a swipeable carousel directly from a browser. The practical workaround is building the slideshow as a finished video file first — using software like CapCut, Premiere, or even a presentation tool — and uploading that single video through the desktop site.

You lose the swipe interaction, but the production quality is usually higher. In practice, most creators who edit on a computer accept that trade-off rather than switching back to mobile just for Photo Mode.

Conclusion

Making a slideshow on TikTok comes down to picking the right format first — swipeable Photo Mode for interactive posts, or a template for something quicker. Once you know which one you want, the steps are short, and switching modes correctly is usually the only tricky part.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many photos can I use in a TikTok slideshow?

Photo Mode supports up to 35 images. Template slideshows depend on the specific template, since each one is built around a set number of slides.

What's the difference between Photo Mode and a template slideshow?

Photo Mode is swipeable and controlled by the viewer; templates auto-play like a short video. Both start from images, but how they're experienced is completely different.

Can I make a TikTok slideshow on a computer?

Not a swipeable one directly. You'd need to build the slideshow as a video file using separate software, then upload that video through TikTok's desktop site.

Can I edit a slideshow after posting it?

TikTok doesn't allow changes to slides, photos, or sound once a slideshow is published. You'd need to delete it and post a corrected version.

Why does TikTok switch to video mode instead of photo mode?

It's the app's default after selecting multiple photos. You have to manually switch to Photo mode — otherwise TikTok keeps it as an auto-playing video.