As one of the fastest-growing entertainment apps, TikTok showed it’s a powerhouse in the digital space. And with more and more businesses joining the platform, it’s important to know when is the best time to post on TikTok. With a projected 1.5 billion active users worldwide in 2024, we know that it’s one of the more popular social apps to date.

It’s important to understand how posting on TikTok at the right times can be a huge benefit to your TikTok marketing strategy. Global users on average spend 23.3 hours per month on the platform, meaning there is an opportunity to engage with a consistent audience. Keep an eye out for emerging trends or subcultures on the platform and test your own content.

Learn how to identify your best times to post globally on TikTok with a free trial of Sprout Social and test our ViralPost® feature.

Start a free Sprout Social trial

Disclaimer: Data from Sprout Social include users from various plan types, industries and locations. All time frames are recorded globally (not by Central Time), meaning you should be able to publish with the times provided in any timezone and see positive engagement results. Number of engagements represents total engagements a brand received on the specific channel during that hour time frame. Industry-specific data includes mid- to high-level engagement times. We recommend testing with your own accounts to find the most optimal send times.

When is the best time to post on TikTok?

Based on data from Sprout Social, a data heat map show shows the best times to post on TikTok globally in 2024.
  • Best times to post on TikTok:
    • Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m.
    • Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m., noon, and 2 to 6 p.m.
    • Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.
    • Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m.
  • Best days to post on TikTok: Wednesdays and Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on TikTok: Sundays

As the youngest digital platform on this list, TikTok has grown significantly and made waves in half as many years as the others on this list. With the app now amassing over 1.5 billion active global users who spend an average of 23 hours on the app every month, TikTok has competitive power against other platforms.

The best times to post on TikTok are Tuesdays and Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesdays, Thursdays mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. and Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m. Afternoons are when the highest engagements are on the platform; users are looking to fill their afternoon entertainment boost. However, generally, mid-morning through the afternoon (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Tuesdays through Fridays see above average engagement on the app.

With TikTok trends changing quickly, it’s important to understand how trends start, evolve and influence. Once you understand how these forces, moments or signals work, you can create a better TikTok trend strategy to implement rather than participating reactively.

What is the best day and time to post on TikTok?

We know the best time to post on TikTok overall, but what about for each day of the week? If you’re looking for the best day and time to post on TikTok, read the analysis below.

Graphic showing the best times to post on TikTok every day of the week: Mondays between 3 and 6 p.m. Tuesdays between 4 and 6 p.m. Wednesdays between 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 6 p.m. Thursdays between 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. Fridays between 4 and 6 p.m. Saturdays between 9 a.m. to noon Sundays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Best time to post on TikTok on Monday

The best time to post on TikTok on Monday is between 3 and 6 p.m., coinciding with after-school hours for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.

Best time to post on TikTok on Tuesday

The hours that are the best times to post on TikTok on Tuesdays are 4 to 6 p.m. and above-average engagement is nearly 3x the amount compared to Mondays.

Best time to post on TikTok on Wednesday

The best times to post on TikTok on Wednesdays are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with only 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. as an exception to this engagement.

Best time to post on TikTok on Thursday

The best times to post on TikTok on Thursdays are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, engagement slightly drops between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Best time to post on TikTok on Friday

The hours that are the best times to post on TikTok on Fridays are 4 to 6 p.m., even though above-average engagement reflects a typical workday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Best time to post on TikTok on Saturday

The best time to post on TikTok on Saturdays is 9 a.m. to noon, in relation to the rest of the day. Generally speaking, we’ve noticed that Saturdays and Sundays have less engagement compared with rest of the week across most social platforms.

Best time to post on TikTok on Sunday

In relation to the day itself, the best time to post on TikTok on Sundays is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to see only average engagement, compared to the rest of the week. Sundays have less engagement throughout the day across most, if not all, social platforms.

When is the best time to post on TikTok in the UK?

The overall best time to post on TikTok in the UK are Tuesdays and Fridays 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. and Thursday evenings from 2 to 6 p.m. If you are targeting UK users of TikTok, Tuesdays to Fridays see the highest engagement. Similar to other platforms, TikTok engagement is lower at the weekend, with Sunday the day with the least engagement. TikTok trends in the UK change quickly and engagement rates for your content are going to depend on your industry, content and of course what’s hot at the moment.

What are the best times to post on TikTok by industry?

There’s no definitive answer to what the best times to post on TikTok are, and we can only offer insight with the data we have. Industry is just one factor that plays into the success of your social posts. Consider as well as your target audience, business goals and the content itself if you’re looking to get more views and engagement.

Use this industry level-data to help inform your publishing calendar, and test your own optimal send times with social experiments.

Best times to post on TikTok for hospitals & healthcare

Based on data from Sprout Social, a data heat map show shows the best times to post on TikTok for the hospital & healthcare industry in 2024.
  • Best times to post on TikTok for Hospitals & Healthcare:
    • Mondays from 5 to 8 p.m.
    • Tuesdays at 4 p.m.
    • Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
    • Thursdays at 2 p.m.
  • Best days to post on TikTok for Hospitals & Healthcare: Mondays and Wednesdays
  • Worst days to post on TikTok for Hospitals & Healthcare: Sundays

Hospitals, clinics and healthcare providers use social media for more than navigating healthcare crises. Social media is used by hospitals and healthcare providers to educate the public, help patients feel more comfortable with healthcare visits and doctors’ appointments, promote their programs for aspiring physicians and establish themselves as pillars in the community.

The best times to post on TikTok for healthcare and hospitals nearly tripled compared to the year prior. Hospitals, healthcare and clinics see average to above average engagement Mondays through Thursdays starting at 10 a.m. and extending as late as 6 p.m. However, the best times to post on TikTok for hospitals and healthcare are Mondays from 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays at 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. and Thursdays at 2 p.m.

Hospital & healthcare social media resources

Best times to post on TikTok for restaurants

Based on data from Sprout Social, a data heat map show shows the best times to post on TikTok for the food & beverage industry in 2024.
  • Best times to post on TikTok for Restaurants:
    • Tuesdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
    • Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
    • Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
  • Best days to post on TikTok for Restaurants: Tuesdays through Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on TikTok for Restaurants: Mondays

Online orders and delivery service apps saw an increase in use over the last few years, innovating the way restaurants interact with their audiences. And restaurants saw over 2x more engagements on TikTok than last year’s analysis. Target audience and platform goals factor into how businesses connect with their customers, such as offering unique promotions or updates.

Those in the food and beverage restaurant industry see most of their engagement concentrated to the lunch hour during weekdays. The best times to post for restaurants on TikTok are Tuesdays through Thursdays between 3 and 5 p.m., generally.

Restaurant social media resources

Best times to post on TikTok for schools & education

Based on data from Sprout Social, a data heat map show shows the best times to post on TikTok for the school & education industry in 2024.
  • Best times to post on TikTok for Schools & Education:
    • Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Best days to post on TikTok for Schools & Education:
    • Thursdays
  • Worst days to post on TikTok for Schools & Education:
    • Saturdays and Sundays

Universities, higher education institutions and schools saw a significant increase in high engagement times on TikTok compared to last year’s analysis. Keep in mind that some schools manage multiple social profiles (per college, athletics, etc.) to meet these needs and effectively target distinct audiences at the right time. 

High opportunities for engagement for schools reflect a typical school day plus evening hours. Tuesdays through Fridays see consistent engagement from around 10 a.m. until about 5 p.m.However, the hours with the highest engagement and therefore the best time to post on TikTok for schools are Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

From highlighting student life to sharing school updates, a social media strategy for schools needs to fulfill various purposes: from engaging with students past, present and future, to keeping a pulse on brand health.

Schools and education social media resources

Best times to post on TikTok for travel & hospitality

Based on data from Sprout Social, a data heat map show shows the best times to post on TikTok for the travel & hospitality industry in 2024.
  • Best times to post on TikTok for Travel & Hospitality:
    • Fridays at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Best days to post on TikTok for Travel & Hospitality: Thursdays and Fridays
  • Worst days to post on TikTok for Travel & Hospitality: Sundays and Tuesdays

Travel and hospitality industries once again doubled their engagement on TikTok relative to last year. Hospitality businesses pivoted their strategies as the post-pandemic spike in travel continues, and they saw a return on their efforts throughout most of the day.

The best times to post on TikTok for travel and hospitality businesses are a bit sporadic throughout the week but are above average beginning around midday nearly every day of the week. However, the day with the highest engagement and the best time to post on TikTok for travel and hospitality is Fridays at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Travel and hospitality social media resources

How to find your own best times to post on TikTok

Social marketers can plan content more effectively when they’re armed with data. And as platforms evolve, how brands and consumers use social will evolve with them, or vice versa. Staying aware of new content formats and trends might help you reach your audience in unexpected ways, or even find new segments and personas you weren’t focusing on before.

How to find your best time to post on TikTok with Analytics

While you may be ready to jump in and post at these provided peak engagement times as part of your strategy, consider pairing this data with your own TikTok analytics. You may discover that your specific target audience is active at different times.

To find your best times to post with native TikTok analytics via desktop, follow these steps:

  1. Login to your account at tiktok.com.
  2. Hover over your profile icon, then click Business Suite.
  3. Then, select Analytics in the left-hand navigation.

How to find your best time to post on TikTok with Sprout Social

A social media management tool like Sprout Social can help you drill into your analytics and develop tailored findings for your brand accounts across all networks, holistically and individually. Gain competitive insights by comparing your performance to your competitors, to find new opportunities for engagement.

With features like post tagging and cross-network reporting, you can separate different factors like post author or types of content, and drill down into how your posting time influenced your social success.

Screenshot of Sprout Social's cross-network post performance report that shows the total number of engagements and by engagement type.

Sprout’s patented ViralPost® technology uses the same data we’ve used to look at all our customer accounts to determine the best time to post tailored for your account. ViralPost® algorithmically determines the results for our Optimal Send Times feature, a publishing option available in all plans. Our proprietary machine learning feature isn’t new, but we’re constantly learning and improving our product to help brands surface insights faster. Our goal is to help people who use our product work more effectively.

Screenshot of Sprout Social's Compose box with the "Use Optimal Times" dropdown selected with several times provided as options of when to schedule social media posts for the highest engagement.

With Optimal Send Times, the specific times offered are based on when your audience engages the most using your publishing history. ViralPost® also continually updates and refines to save you time from doing repeated the analysis, and allowing you more time to craft great content.

Want to see it in action? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Sprout Social or request a personalized demo and try it for yourself.

Start a free Sprout Social trial

If you’re looking for more of our findings from this year’s study of our customer data, see what we learned about the best times to post across eight industries on these networks:

How Sprout gathered the data

We understand that these reports can raise questions about just where the data is coming from. That’s why we want to be clear about the data we pulled and how we got here.

Sprout Social’s Data Science team gathers this information by analyzing nearly 2 billion engagements across 400,000 social profiles across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

Start a free Sprout Social trial