A cover photo is important because it gives a short preview of the video and an interesting thumbnail increases the likelihood of having your video clicked on and more people watching your video.
Is it a big deal if your TikTok thumbnail is static or not moving?
Since your cover photo shows a video preview, it not moving can be quite disastrous since I, as a TikTok user, will not be interested in the video if I don’t see a little bit about what the video is about.
There are several reasons your TikTok cover photo might not be moving on iPhone & Android and these are usually faults that with the right techniques can easily be solved.
Why TikTok Cover Photo/Thumbnail Is Not Moving on My iPhone and Android
Naturally, the thumbnail of your TikTok is supposed to move. That is the default setting for cover photos on TikTok.
Anything else aside this means there is a problem for which you need to find the solution quickly else your activities on TikTok will be affected.
The following are reasons your TikTok thumbnail is not moving.
Technical glitch/bug
This is actually the most common reason behind your problem of a TikTok thumbnail not moving.
This is because a cover photo not moving is an effect of your TikTok app malfunctioning.
If your TikTok app is malfunctioning, then certain tools are not going to work properly; thereby giving you an unsatisfactory user experience.
Outdated App
Another reason your thumbnail is it moving might be because you are running an old and outdated version of the TikTok app on your iPhone/Android.
Having and using an old version of any software application at all and particularly TikTok at that is bound to encounter problems and errors during the app’s usage and your cover photo not moving is an example.
Outmoded Operating System
Usually, the operating system version that is being used on your mobile device might be the cause of the TikTok cover photo not moving.
This is because an outmoded operating system usually becomes damaged and full of software bugs that hinder the operation of the phone system and this in turn affects the apps on your device and TikTok is no exception.
These are the common problems that may account for your TikTok thumbnail not moving. There are for each of the problems that will readily rectify and correct your problem and ensure that the cover photo on your TikTok video is fixed and works normally.
How to Fix TikTok Cover Photo/Thumbnail Not Moving on iPhone & Android
Although it is advisable to find out the cause of the error of the TikTok thumbnail not moving so that you can permanently fix it and prevent it, discovering the root cause of your problem is not that easy.
This is why the solutions provided are bound to work regardless of the cause of the problem.
Restart your Mobile Device
To reset the technical glitches and bugs, you may want to consider restarting your device. Restarting your iPhone or Android device refreshes it.
Restarting your mobile device is quite simple as it involves simply putting it off and turning it back on.
To restart an Android:
- Press and hold the power button
- On the menu that appears on the screen, select restart
- Wait while your phone reboots.
To restart an iPhone:
- Long press the side button (for models before the iPhone X) or the side button and the volume down button (for iPhone X models and later) simultaneously
- Drag the slider to turn off the device
- Wait for thirty seconds for the device to shut down
- Long press the side button to turn the phone back on
Update Your Device
Upgrading your mobile device to the latest software version is guaranteed to fix and correct all technical bugs and glitches that affect the operating system and application software.
The operating system for iPhone and Android periodically releases software versions that are a step ahead and contain the fixes to the errors in the current operating system version.
Updating an Android
- Select the Settings app
- Scroll down and locate Software Update
- Choose Download to install the latest operation system version on your device.
Updating an iPhone:
- Open Settings
- Select General
- Choose the second option which is Software Update
- Wait a while as the system checks for a new iOS version
- Tap on the latest version available to download
- After the download is complete, your iPhone will restart as the software version is downloaded on the device
Update TikTok
After restarting and updating your device, the next step you can take to resolve your thumbnail not moving is to update the TikTok app itself.
Updating your TikTok app means installing the latest software version that is available. The software version that will be installed after the update contains patches to the technical bugs in the old software version.
Updating TikTok on Android:
- Open the Google Play Store on your device
- Locate the search bar and type in TikTok
- Select the official version of the app
- Tap on Update to download and install the latest version of the app
Updating TikTok on iPhone
- On your iPhone, select the App Store
- Select your profile icon which is at the top right corner of the screen.
- Under the AVAILABLE Updates section is a list of all apps that need to be updated
- Scroll through and locate TikTok
- Tap on the Update button to download and install the update for TikTok
Clear TikTok Cache
There might be the possibility that you are running on the latest version of the app and you are still experiencing your problem.
If that is the case for you, then you should clear the cache of your TikTok app. The cache is a collection of data that you frequently use and this includes data like your search history, passwords, keystrokes etc.
These data accumulate space which hinders the smooth operation of TikTok.
On Android:
- Select Settings
- Scroll and locate Apps
- Choose TikTok
- Choose the Storage option
- Select Clear Cache
On iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your phone
- Select General
- Choose iPhone Storage
- Find and select TikTok
- Choose Offload App to delete TikTok’s cache
Uninstall and Reinstall TikTok
Another way to clear an app’s cache is to uninstall the app and install it again. This will reset the app and allow you to use it without any errors. To uninstall an app,
- Find and locate it on the home screen
- Long press the app
- Choose Delete app from the options that appear
After a successful uninstallation of the app, you need to download it again.
- Visit your Google Play Store or App Store
- Navigate to the search and type in “TikTok”
- Select the official version of the app
- Tap on Download and wait for the app to download and subsequently install on your mobile device
Reach Out to TikTok Support
This is the option to take if all other solutions fail. Contacting TikTok’s support staff will connect you to their technical team who are always readily available to assist you with any and every issue you have that you are unable to solve.
You will be required to provide specific details of your issue and also describe exactly what problem you are encountering.
Include pictorial evidence if possible and your issue will be resolved as soon as possible.
Conclusion
A thumbnail and cover photo are what is going to attract people to your video, get them to click on it, and give you views as well.
This is why your thumbnail must be moving for viewers to get a short preview of the video and click on it.
If your TikTok cover photo is not moving, then the necessary steps must be taken to correct and fix it.
