While it’s always a good time to watch TikToks, figuring out the best time to post on TikTok is a smidge more complicated.
And yet, knowing when to post can be super helpful for content creators and small business owners alike. After all, creating TikToks is tough work (trust me, I know), so it makes sense to give your content the best possible shot when you hit publish.
That’s why we analyzed Buffer’s data — looking at more than 7.1 million videos, carousels, photos, and text posts — to pinpoint exactly when posts tend to get the most engagement on the platform. And we found some patterns!
In this guide, I’ll unpack them all: the best times to post, the best day of the week, and which hours are best avoided. Plus, I’ll help you find the best time to post on TikTok based on your target audience and goals. With any luck, we’ll have your videos on For You Pages worldwide in no time.
Key takeaways
- Peak posting time: The single best time to post is Sunday at 9 a.m., followed by Monday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
- Best day: Saturday is the top-performing day for TikTok engagement, with Monday and Sunday following close behind.
- Evening advantage: Views generally peak during evening hours (6 p.m.–11 p.m.), with afternoons (12 p.m.–5 p.m.) showing the lowest engagement across most days.
- Personalize your data: Use TikTok Studio Analytics (Followers tab) to find when your specific audience is most active.
Let’s dive into what the data shows about the best times to post on TikTok in 2026.
Is there a best time to post on TikTok?
There isn’t one “magic” best time to post on TikTok for every creator, but our study of 7.1 million posts shows clear standout times to try.
Buffer’s data scientist Julian Winternheimer analyzed the median engagement rate of 7.1 million posts published through Buffer for this study.
These numbers helped us pinpoint some pretty clear patterns in the times of TikTok posts that tend to perform well compared to those that don’t.
So why does posting time matter on a platform like TikTok? It comes down to how the TikTok algorithm works. When you share a video, TikTok serves it to a small test group first. If that group engages — watching it through, liking, sharing — the algorithm takes that as a signal to push it to a wider audience on the For You Page.
But before we dig into our data, an important caveat: There is no universal best time for TikTok that will work for every video on the app. If only it were that easy.
The best time to post on TikTok for you depends on your target audience — your audience location, timezones, and their behaviors — which is why I’ll walk you through analyzing your own TikTok data to figure out the best time to post on TikTok for your target audience later in this article.
That said, the days and times in the charts below offer a good jumping-off point. Experiment with these slots to help you maximize your content potential while growing your following. If you’re not sure when to post your content, using our data is a great place to begin.
The best times to post on TikTok
According to our data, the best time to post on TikTok is Sunday at 9 a.m., followed by Monday at 1 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Videos, carousels, and text TikTok posts shared during those times tended to get the highest views of the week, though other slots weren’t far behind.
🌙 Generally speaking, views tend to pick up in the evening hours, with peak time slots between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Afternoons (12 p.m.–5 p.m.) tend to see lower engagement across most days.
This heatmap shows patterns in the best time to post on TikTok by hour and day. The darkest blocks are the time slots with the highest views (the best time to post) — and the light to white blocks are the time slots with the lowest views (times that are probably best avoided).
TikTok is a particularly fascinating platform to look at in terms of posting times. In our other analyses of the best time to post on LinkedIn and even Instagram there are some really predictable patterns in video performance (and, we can assume, audience behavior).
But with TikTok, things are less cut-and-dried.
Another interesting thing to note is how well TikToks tend to do on weekends — on other platforms, even Instagram, we see a dramatic drop-off in engagement on weekends. On TikTok, it’s the exact opposite.
This is likely because TikTok has a younger demographic — the majority of TikTok users in the US are 18–24 years old — with a less rigid schedule.
Posting when more of your potential audience is active gives your content a better shot at clearing that first hurdle. It won’t save a video that doesn’t resonate, but it can make the difference between a good video getting seen and a good video getting buried.
🌍
Wait, what time zone? To make this data easier to understand, our data science team has done some mathematical magic to make the recommended time zones universally applicable. In other words, no need to convert.
The best time to post on TikTok at a glance
In general, evenings tend to deliver the best results.
Here’s a quick look at the best time to post on TikTok every day of the week. The posting times appear in order of performance (so the first time mentioned is the best time for that day, and so on).
| Day of the Week | Best Time (Primary) | Secondary Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1 p.m. | 11 a.m., 8 a.m. |
| Tuesday | 6 a.m. | 10 p.m., 7 a.m. |
| Wednesday | 10 p.m. | 6 a.m., 9 p.m. |
| Thursday | 1 p.m. | 10 p.m., 6 a.m. |
| Friday | 6 p.m. | 10 p.m., 8 p.m. |
| Saturday | 5 p.m. | 4 p.m., 3 p.m. |
| Sunday | 9 a.m. | 1 p.m., 12 p.m. |
The best time to post on TikTok on Monday
The best time to post on TikTok on Monday is 1 p.m., closely followed by 11 a.m., then 8 a.m., according to Buffer data. Monday is one of the strongest days of the week for TikTok engagement — so if you’re only picking one day to prioritize, it’s well worth considering.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Monday: 1 p.m.
The best time to post on TikTok on Tuesday
The best time to post on TikTok on Tuesday is 6 a.m. Videos posted at 10 p.m. received the second-highest median views, followed by 7 a.m., so add those into your TikTok posting schedule, too.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Tuesday: 6 a.m.
The best time to post on TikTok on Wednesday
On Wednesdays, the best time to post on TikTok is 10 p.m., closely followed by 6 a.m., then 9 p.m. Wednesday tends to be quieter overall, so if you’re being selective about when you post, you might get more bang for your buck on Saturday or Monday.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Wednesday: 10 p.m.
The best time to post on TikTok on Thursday
The best time to post on TikTok on Thursday is 1 p.m. Videos posted at 10 p.m. received the second-highest median views, closely followed by 6 a.m. Like Wednesday, Thursday tends to see lower engagement overall.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Thursday: 1 p.m.
The best time to post on TikTok on Friday
On Friday, the best time to post on TikTok is at 6 p.m. There is another solid posting time at 10 p.m., then 8 p.m.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Friday: 6 p.m.
The best time to post on TikTok on Saturday
Saturday is the strongest day on TikTok overall, with clear optimal times worth noting. The best time to post on TikTok on Saturday is 5 p.m., followed by 4 p.m., then 3 p.m. That afternoon-to-evening window makes Saturday a great day for batch-creating and scheduling content ahead of time.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Saturday: 5 p.m.
The best time to post on TikTok on Sunday
The best time to post on TikTok on Sunday is at 9 a.m. — the single best time to post throughout the entire week — so bookmark this slot for your TikTok posting schedule for maximum engagement. Other strong times to post on TikTok on Sunday are 1 p.m. and 12 p.m. This is a great time to use scheduling tools if you prefer to keep weekends free.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Sunday: 9 a.m.
This is where social media scheduling tools like Buffer shine. Experiment by systematically going through the times on the list above, scheduling a TikTok, and tracking its performance to see what works best for your specific audience.
💡 Just as there’s no one-size-fits-all best time to post, there’s no single best time to post across all other social media platforms. Here’s the best time to post on Instagram, the best time to post on Facebook, and the best time to post on LinkedIn.
The best day of the week to post on TikTok
The best day of the week to post on TikTok is Saturday. Overall, videos, carousels, and text TikTok posts shared on Saturday tended to perform the best.
Monday comes in second place, followed closely by Sunday.
The worst days of the week to post on TikTok are Wednesday and Thursday, when there’s a notable dip in views of TikTok posts shared on those days. If you do need to post on TikTok on Wednesday or Thursday, there is a slight peak in TikTok engagement at 10 p.m.
If you’re wondering why Sunday wasn’t the top performer based on the numbers in the heatmap above, that’s because we ran some slightly different checks in this part of the analysis.
“The day-level suggestions have additional filters to make sure that we’re only looking at profiles that have posted across multiple days,” our data scientist Julian explains. “We did this so that we can make accurate comparisons for individual profiles.”
Get the best times to post on TikTok right in Buffer
Did you know you can access these recommended times right in Buffer? It’s super handy — and really easy to set up, too.
You can automatically set these recommended times for TikTok and your other social media platforms. They’ll appear as posting slots in your queue and calendar, like this:
It’ll take you less than a minute to set up:
- Select TikTok on your channels list on the left.
- Click on the settings (gear) icon above the calendar.
- Scroll to Posting Schedule and under Posting Times, click the Generate New Posting Times button
- Then Use Recommended Posting Times.
The schedule will automatically update to include the best posting times for the week, based on our latest analysis of millions of TikTok posts.
The next time you schedule a post, you can easily choose one of these high engagement slots. No more guessing!
How to find your best time to post on TikTok
As always, these times are a starting point — your audience might behave a little differently.
These time slots are a great starting point to experiment with. I’d definitely recommend experimenting with them if you’re unsure of your best posting time.
But TikTok actually makes this pretty easy, thanks to some handy built-in audience insights. In fact, you can see exactly when your followers (not just TikTok users in general) have been online in the past week, to help you make more informed decisions about when to post your next videos.
Here’s how:
1. See when your TikTok followers are active for maximum engagement
Head over to your TikTok account. Then:
- Open your TikTok profile and tap TikTok Studio (just under your bio). Pro tip: You can also grab the standalone TikTok Studio app if you prefer.
- Inside Studio, look for the Analytics card and tap View all.
- Choose the Followers tab, then scroll to Most active times.
In this TikTok analytics section, you’ll find a retrospective overview of when your TikTok account followers were most active on the app over the past week (you can’t see further back than 7 days).
Why timing matters for the TikTok algorithm:
- TikTok serves your video to a small test group first.
- High engagement (watch time, likes, shares) signals the content is valuable.
- Positive signals trigger the algorithm to push the video to a wider audience on the For You Page (FYP).
While TikTok only shares follower activity, it stands to reason that your TikTok users who don’t already follow you — people you’re hoping to reach and convert — will behave similarly to the people already following you. In turn, they might be scrolling through the app at similar times.
Posting when your target audience is most active — or just before that period — gives your content the best possible chance of success.
2. Pinpoint some good times and peak hours to post on TikTok to maximize reach
It’s worthwhile spending some time noting down your audience’s most active times over the past few days. Look for patterns.
Is there a similar spike in activity on weekdays? Or on weekends? Is there one day of the week that stands out when it comes to the best time to post on TikTok?
These slots will give you a good indication of the best time to post on TikTok for your target audience.
I suggest posting slightly before your followers’ most active times, particularly if it lines up with one of our best times, above.
3. Consider your own schedule for posting consistently
Burnout is real — whether you’re a content creator, a social media manager, or wearing both hats. While posting consistently is a great idea, you don’t want to do too much at once and exhaust yourself.
When deciding on the best time to post on TikTok and, in particular, how often you’ll post, consider whether the workload feels reasonable.
To create content you’re actually proud of, you need to feel good when you’re making it. So take care of your physical and mental health and take breaks whenever needed.
Creating a posting schedule or social media calendar can reduce the stress of posting consistently. A calendar will provide an organized way to post regularly, lay out all of your TikTok videos, and help you be more consistent.
Once you have a solid overview of your content and when to schedule your posts on TikTok, you can start planning and filming TikTok content in advance and even batch-create content.
4. Experiment with different times
Now you’ve studied your followers’ most active times and nailed down a few options for the best time to post on TikTok, it’s time to take those times for a spin.
Experimentation is a pillar of successful social media marketing — play around with scheduling your TikTok posts at various periods during the day to see which video performs the best.
If you’re not able to actively post on TikTok during those hours (perhaps your target audience location is not in the same time zone as yours), no sweat: A social media management tool like Buffer can help schedule TikTok posts at the exact moments your audience is most likely to engage.
While we’re on the subject — want to add your TikTok trending audio natively in the TikTok app? You can still schedule your video to post at a specific time, with Buffer’s TikTok notification post feature!
You’ll get a notification when the time comes to post your video, and Buffer will automatically open the video up in TikTok for you. From there, you can copy your caption over from Buffer, and add any elements you want in TikTok, saving you precious time. Plus, you’ll never forget a posting time again.
5. Analyze your content performance
Stick to your planned posting schedule when you post on TikTok for a few weeks, to give each posting time a fair trial. Use these numbers to help you find the best time to post on TikTok:
- Views — total number of times your video was watched
- Likes — total likes received
- Shares — number of times your video was shared
- Comments — total comments on your video
- Followers — new followers gained from the post
6. Post regularly, rinse, and repeat
Can’t find any patterns that point to a best time to post on TikTok? That’s OK. You could stick to your current schedule when you post on TikTok a little longer if your posts are generally performing well, to gather more data. If not, I’d suggest adjusting your schedule (and checking out these tips for creating great TikTok content, too.).
If you’ve found some times that seem to be working? Great! Be sure to share or schedule your posts during those times for the next few weeks.
But don’t forget to add some new times to experiment with into the mix. TikTok trends (and TikTok’s algorithm) shift constantly, so testing new posting times every few weeks can help you stay ahead.
Finding your optimal times to post on TikTok
Hopefully, this guide gives you a solid starting point for finding your best time to post on TikTok — and takes some of the guesswork out of the equation. Ensuring your videos, photos, and text posts get seen by as many people as possible when you post on TikTok is the next step in attracting more followers or customers to your brand and building a stronger online community.
FAQ about the best time to post on TikTok
Is there really a ‘best’ time to post on TikTok?
Technically, yes — there are times that tend to perform better than others on TikTok. But there are two important caveats here. First, your ideal time depends on your audience. Use the recommended times above as a starting point, then experiment. Second, even the best timing in the world can’t “save” a weak post. The quality of your content will always be the most important factor. Posting at a good time will give good content a little boost.
Do the best posting times change by time zone?
To make things easier, our data is standardized so you can use the times as-is, no matter where you live or what timezone you’re in.
Do I need to post every day at the best time?
Posting consistently matters more than posting every single day. Choose times that work for your audience and feel sustainable for you.
How do I know when my audience is most active?
Check TikTok Analytics → Followers tab → Most active times. This shows when your followers were online in the past week — a great clue for when to post next.
Does posting time matter if my content isn’t getting views?
It helps, but it’s not the whole story. Keep an eye on watch time, engagement, and follower growth. If those are trending upward, you’re on the right track — even if one video flops.
How long should I test a posting time before deciding if it works?
TikTok performance can be unpredictable day-to-day. Give each time slot at least a few weeks so you can spot patterns instead of one-off spikes.
What if my followers live in different time zones?
Look for overlap in activity patterns. If most of your audience is active in the morning or evening (regardless of country), try posting during shared “awake hours.”
Can I schedule TikTok posts?
Yes, Buffer lets you schedule or set up notification-based posting. It’s a great way to show up at the right time without having to be glued to your phone.
