Have you ever tried to change your TikTok cover photo, only to find that it doesn’t update no matter what you do? This frustrating glitch seems to happen to lots of TikTok users.
In this post, we’ll explore some potential reasons why your TikTok cover photo may not be working, and walk through different troubleshooting steps to try fixing it.
Why Your TikTok Cover Photo Might Not Be Working
There are a few possible explanations for why your TikTok cover photo isn’t updating properly:
The Photo Doesn’t Meet TikTok’s Specifications
TikTok has particular specifications that a cover photo needs to meet to be accepted:
- File Size: Less than 4MB
- Dimensions: 1080×1920 pixels
- File Type: JPG or PNG
If your photo doesn’t exactly meet those technical specifications, TikTok may reject it and not allow it to update as the cover photo.
There’s a Bug or Glitch in the App
As with any app, TikTok isn’t perfect. There may simply be a bug or glitch preventing your new cover photo from taking effect correctly.
Clearing cached data and restarting the app can sometimes help resolve minor software glitches like this.
Your Account is Restricted or Banned
In some cases, if your TikTok account has been temporarily restricted or banned from certain activities, changing your cover photo may be disabled.
If your account has been penalized for violations of TikTok’s community guidelines, you’ll need to resolve that issue first.
Outdated App Version
An outdated version of the TikTok app could be the culprit. If the app isn’t updated to the latest available version, you may encounter problems like an unchangeable cover image. Updating the app often fixes small bugs that can cause photo upload issues.
So in summary – a photo that doesn’t meet the correct specifications, tech glitches, account restrictions, or an outdated app can all potentially lead to problems changing your TikTok cover.
But don’t worry – in most cases this issue can be fixed by trying a few troubleshooting tweaks.
How to Fix TikTok Cover Photos Not Working or Showing
If your TikTok cover photo isn’t working, here is a step-by-step guide of potential troubleshooting fixes to try:
1. Check Your Photo’s Specifications
First, check that your chosen photo meets TikTok’s cover photo specifications:
- Open the photo on your computer using image software like Windows Photos App, Mac Preview, or a free web-based editor such as Pixlr.
- Confirm the file size is under 4MB.
- Check that the dimensions are 1080×1920 pixels.
- Verify the file type is PNG or JPG.
If your photo doesn’t meet all criteria, resize or reformat it and then try uploading again. Image editing apps have sizing and formatting tools for this purpose.
2. Clear the App Cache and Data
The next step is to clear out any corrupted cached data or glitches in the app that could be preventing the cover photo change:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Select “Apps” or “Application Manager”.
- Choose TikTok from the list.
- Tap “Storage”, then “Clear Cache.”
- Reopen TikTok and attempt to change the cover.
This refresh clears out any bugs or glitches so TikTok can reload properly.
3. Update the TikTok App
Another fix is to ensure you have the latest version of TikTok installed:
- Go to your device’s app store (Google Play Store for Android, Apple App Store for iOS).
- Search for TikTok.
- If an “Update” button shows, tap it to update to the newest available version.
- If no update is available, you already have the newest version.
The most recent TikTok version may contain critical bug fixes impacting the cover uploader.
4. Try Again on a Different Device
Determining if the issue is device-specific is helpful:
- Attempt to update your TikTok cover photo through the TikTok app on another device like your phone, tablet or PC.
- If you successfully upload your chosen image on a different gadget, then the issue lies with your original device.
- But if it still doesn’t work cross-devices, then there may be another underlying account, image, or app problem at play.
This is an easy way to deduce if the problem lies in the app’s install on your specific phone, or points to a wider software issue.
5. Log Out and Back In to Your Account
Sometimes simply logging out and back into your account will refresh tricky permissions or settings:
- Open TikTok and tap the “Me” page icon at the bottom.
- Choose the three dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
- Select “Log out”. Confirm logging out.
- Close and reopen the TikTok app entirely.
- Log back into your account with your username and password or social media link.
- Return to your profile and check if you can change the cover photo now.
Quickly toggling your user session logs you out properly then back in, refreshing the connection.
6. Reinstall the TikTok App
If you still can’t get your cover image to take, reinstalling TikTok completely may do the trick:
- Delete the TikTok app from your phone or device.
- Reboot your phone, closing all apps first.
- Go back to the Play Store or App Store and re-download TikTok.
- Log into your account once the TikTok reinstallation completes.
- Try saving your freshly uploaded cover photo again.
Reinstalling gives you a completely clean slate, which often solves update glitches.
7. Disable VPN or Proxy Settings
Some users connect to TikTok through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or proxy server to mask identities and locations. However, VPNs can also disrupt app permissions leading to functionality issues like uploading cover photos.
To troubleshoot, open your phone’s VPN settings under the main device settings menu. Tap the toggle switch for your VPN app to temporarily disable the VPN.
Then open the TikTok app and try once more to set a new cover photo. Disable any other proxy server or privacy apps following the same steps.
8. Check Account Restrictions
TikTok allows enabling restrictions and permissions around private, comment, and duet abilities. But sometimes restrictions can unintentionally impact other functionalities like changing profile media assets.
To rule out this issue, tap the “Profile” icon in TikTok and select the menu button in the top right corner. Choose “Settings and Privacy” then “Privacy”.
This is where you can toggle on/off features like uploading videos, going live, messaging, etc. Disable any restrictions enabled and test if you can add a cover afterwards.
9. Update Your Phone OS
Mobile operating systems frequently issue software updates with security patches, new features and crucially – bug fixes. But if automatic OS updates are disabled on your device, TikTok app glitches may persist.
Open your phone’s main Settings screen and check under General > Software Update (iPhone) or System > System update (Android).
Install any pending Operating System patches. Fully reboot the phone before launching TikTok again to assess cover photo issues. Keeping systems upgraded prevents app conflicts.
10. Free Up Phone Storage
Today’s visually driven social apps require accessing much device storage for saving cached data like media files, apps, or browser cache.
If your total phone capacity nears 100% full, performance lags across activities like editing profiles properly within TikTok.
Check your storage usage by going to Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage on iOS or Settings > Storage on Android.
Delete any apps, videos, music or files possible then observe if TikTok now works. Low storage pressure can hurt functionality.
And there you have it – from checking sizing, clearing app caches, logging out and back in, to fully reinstalling TikTok – these troubleshooting steps should help you fix most cases of a stuck TikTok cover that just won’t update or display right.
We hope these troubleshooting tips help get your ideal TikTok cover photo working flawlessly!
Let us know if the tricks above fixed your issues changing covers. Just having the right information goes a long way towards resolving pesky app glitches.
Now get out there and show off your own personalized upgraded TikTok cover!
