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Ready to join TikTok in 2022? Here’s what you need to know

We’ll tell you how to make videos, gain followers, get in on trends and challenges.

Short-form video app TikTok has come a long way since its 2016 launch, reporting 1 billion active monthly users in September, despite its conflicted history with the US government. TikTok’s popularity skyrocketed in the US during the pandemic and the app seems to have found a permanent place in our cultural zeitgeist.

Hubspot reported that 96% of surveyed consumers said their video consumption increased in 2020. TikTok’s readiness to meet this need sent other social media scrambling to catch up. Instagram, Facebook and YouTube all put more focus on incorporating TikTok-style features in 2021. In addition – even if you’re not on TikTok – you’ve likely noticed users crossposting TikTok videos on other social media, or an enthusiastic friend has sent you dozens of links through text.

Planning to finally join TikTok in 2022? Whether you’re just curious or looking to go viral, we’ll explain the ins and outs, like how to sign up, film a TikTok and get more followers. We can’t promise that you’ll achieve viral internet fame, but we’ll help you get the most out of the app?

Getting started on TikTok

When you open the TikTok app, videos will automatically start playing and you can poke around the site. But if you want to make quirky TikTok videos to get your 15 seconds of fame, you’ll need to make an account. Download the app on iOS and Android and follow the instructions to create an account.

Until you start following some people or liking videos, the For You feed is going to be a hodgepodge of content. So start by scrolling and see what you find, or you can start in the Following tab and sync your contacts to find friends who are already using the app. The Discover tab is also a good place to find content. See what hashtags are trending and search for what you’re interested in.

Most of the ways you can interact with a video are on the right side of the screen — the creator’s profile, the «like» heart, the comment section, share options and the rotating icon that will show you other videos that use that particular song. Long-press the screen to save a video to your phone, add it to your favorites collection, or say you’re not interested in it. Access, follow and interact with the creator’s profile by swiping left, tapping their username or profile picture.

As you get more involved in the platform and engage with more people, you can find likes and comments from your followers in the Notifications tab. Your private message inbox is also in the Notifications tab. To make any adjustments to your account, like privacy settings or push notifications for example, tap the profile icon, then the three-dot settings in the top-right corner.

Make a TikTok that stands out (or follow a trend)

Ready to make your first video? Tap the white + at the bottom center of the screen and give TikTok the necessary permissions it asks for. You can either film something new or upload a video (or photo) from your phone. The sound editing options are at the top right, and the video editing controls are at the bottom left of the screen. Your video can be 15 seconds, 60 seconds or three minutes.

There are a lot of options available to edit your video, and my best advice is just to explore and experiment. You can add sounds and music to your video and use the Mixer and Trim tools to customize it. Experiment with voiceover by tapping the microphone under the Filter button. There are more fun voice effects if you’re filming a new TikTok, too.

TikTok has a slew of filters, stickers, emojis and text to lay over your video as well. You can also add effects before you start filming or as you go. The cool part is you’re not limited to one filter per video. You can add transitions like Scroll, Rotate, Slip and more. Tap Split to, well, split the screen however you like up to nine ways. Finally, you can add reverse effects, flash (like a double- or triple-take) or slow motion to your video.

Use these tools to strike out on your own or put a fresh spin on a viral challenge or trend. If you find an effect, filter or sound that you like, you can tap the tagged effect, filter or song title on the creator’s video to see how others have used it in their videos. From that screen, tap Use this Sound or Try this Effect to start making your own TikTok.

Once you’re ready to put your video out into the world, double check that everything is how you want it to be – choose a cover image, add hashtags, write up a quick video description and tag friends if you want. But those aren’t the only settings to check.

Customize your preferences by tapping Who Can View This Video and choose between public, friends only or private (only you can see private videos). You can also toggle comments, Duets and Stitch on or off. Save your video to drafts, automatically post it to other social media or post it to TikTok only. You can adjust these settings after the video is published as well.

Finding fame on TikTok

Internet fame might seem easier than ever, but we can’t guarantee anything. A one-off video going viral and skyrocketing a person to internet fame is fairly rare, but it does happen. Noodle, a 13-year-old pug, and his owner, Jonathan Graziano, gained viral popularity on TikTok by deciding if it’s a «bones day» or a «no-bones day.»

Trends happen fast and cover a wide spectrum of topics. In addition to Noodle’s productivity forecasts, some of CNET’s favorite TikTok trends in 2021 included sea shanties, Olivia Rodrigo songs, and Adam Driver’s «good soup» line from the HBO show Girls.

Here are some general tips that’ll have you on your way to a verification badge in no time.

Post, post, post

Without the boost of a viral video out of the gate, establishing a presence on TikTok takes time and commitment. If you’re seeking TikTok fame, we’d suggest that you create a schedule for yourself so you’re posting regularly enough to establish a steady stream of content. Once you hit 1,000 followers, you’ll be able to «go live.» Try to livestream often.

Find the ‘thing’ that sets you apart

Everybody’s good at something. But the internet is huge and a lot of people are good at the same thing. As you embark on your journey for internet fame, look for that extra something to set your videos apart from everyone else’s. The more niche, the better. Once you find your stride, keep it consistent. It might not be the best idea to do a makeup tutorial one day and then demonstrate how to fix a TV the next.

Quality videos can make a big difference

You don’t have to go to film school, but if you’re serious about creating an online presence, you should present a polished product. You wouldn’t want to follow someone who doesn’t post quality videos either, right? Don’t go broke on camera equipment, but maybe invest in a tripod for your phone (they can run as little as $10 on Amazon). Read up on video composition while you’re waiting for it to be delivered.

Connect social media

Odds are, you’ll have more luck if all your social media accounts are linked together. You’ll have even more luck the more social media platforms you’re on. You probably follow your favorite celebrities and influencers on multiple platforms, so wouldn’t you like your followers to do the same? More platforms to follow means more exposure and a bigger audience for your videos to reach.

That said, don’t compromise your safety seeking internet fame. Perhaps create a Finsta and protect your private Instagram. Additionally, if you get enough followers, you can create a Page on Facebook and keep your personal account private.

Follow-for-follow

Engaging with your followers is a big deal. You know how exciting it is when your favorite podcaster or a celebrity retweets you or likes your Instagram post. There’s no need to give someone the cold shoulder. If they comment on one of your posts or a video, like it and comment back.

Keep safety in mind, as always. If you’re going to be in the public eye, not everyone will like what you make. Some negative comments can be constructive and help you improve your content. Other comments or messages might be harassment, creepy and abusive. Use your discretion. Report and delete the trolls. Don’t forget to interact with other TikTok creators too!

Do your homework

What’s trending is important to a video’s success on any social media platform. Pay attention to hashtags, what’s popular right now and what’s trending in the Discover tab. This might seem like it contradicts the «find your thing» tip, but you can stick a hashtag on your video to make it more findable — even if it’s only tangentially related. Sneaky, I know, but people need to find your videos to appreciate them. However, the more relevant your content is, the better it’ll do with your audience.

Deleting TikTok

If TikTok winds up not being your cup of tea or if, perhaps more likely, you’re spending so much time on the app that you no longer go outside, you can step away for a bit, turn off notifications, or even delete your account. Here’s how.

1. Open the TikTok app and tap Me, the profile icon in the bottom right.
2. Tap the settings «dots» in the top right corner.
3. Choose Manage Account.
4. Tap Delete Account and follow the onscreen prompts to complete the process.

For more, check out The 8 best iPhone apps of 2021 and the 8 best Android apps of 2021.

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Technologies

TMR vs. Hall Effect Controllers: Battle of the Magnetic Sensing Tech

The magic of magnets tucked into your joysticks can put an end to drift. But which technology is superior?

Competitive gamers look for every advantage they can get, and that drive has spawned some of the zaniest gaming peripherals under the sun. There are plenty of hardware components that actually offer meaningful edges when implemented properly. Hall effect and TMR (tunnel magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance) sensors are two such technologies. Hall effect sensors have found their way into a wide variety of devices, including keyboards and gaming controllers, including some of our favorites like the GameSir Super Nova. 

More recently, TMR sensors have started to appear in these devices as well. Is it a better technology for gaming? With multiple options vying for your lunch money, it’s worth understanding the differences to decide which is more worthy of living inside your next game controller or keyboard. 

How Hall effect joysticks work

We’ve previously broken down the difference between Hall effect tech and traditional potentiometers in controller joysticks, but here’s a quick rundown on how Hall effect sensors work. A Hall effect joystick moves a magnet over a sensor circuit, and the magnetic field affects the circuit’s voltage. The sensor in the circuit measures these voltage shifts and maps them to controller inputs. Element14 has a lovely visual explanation of this effect here.

The advantage this tech has over potentiometer-based joysticks used in controllers for decades is that the magnet and sensor don’t need to make physical contact. There’s no rubbing action to slowly wear away and degrade the sensor. So, in theory, Hall effect joysticks should remain accurate for the long haul. 

How TMR joysticks work

While TMR works differently, it’s a similar concept to Hall effect devices. When you move a TMR joystick, it moves a magnet in the vicinity of the sensor. So far, it’s the same, right? Except with TMR, this shifting magnetic field changes the resistance in the sensor instead of the voltage. 

There’s a useful demonstration of a sensor in action here. Just like Hall effect joysticks, TMR joysticks don’t rely on physical contact to register inputs and therefore won’t suffer the wear and drift that affects potentiometer-based joysticks. 

Which is better, Hall effect or TMR?

There’s no hard and fast answer to which technology is better. After all, the actual implementation of the technology and the hardware it’s built into can be just as important, if not more so. Both technologies can provide accurate sensing, and neither requires physical contact with the sensing chip, so both can be used for precise controls that won’t encounter stick drift. That said, there are some potential advantages to TMR. 

According to Coto Technology, who, in fairness, make TMR sensors, they can be more sensitive, allowing for either greater precision or the use of smaller magnets. Since the Hall effect is subtler, it relies on amplification and ultimately requires extra power. While power requirements vary from sensor to sensor, GameSir claims its TMR joysticks use about one-tenth the power of mainstream Hall effect joysticks. Cherry is another brand highlighting the lower power consumption of TMR sensors, albeit in the brand’s keyboard switches.

The greater precision is an opportunity for TMR joysticks to come out ahead, but that will depend more on the controller itself than the technology. Strange response curves, a big dead zone (which shouldn’t be needed), or low polling rates could prevent a perfectly good TMR sensor from beating a comparable Hall effect sensor in a better optimized controller. 

The power savings will likely be the advantage most of us really feel. While it won’t matter for wired controllers, power savings can go a long way for wireless ones. Take the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, for instance, a Hall effect controller offering 20 hours of battery life from a 4.5-watt-hour battery with support for a 1,000Hz polling rate on a wireless connection. Razer also offers the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, a near-identical controller with the same battery offering TMR sensors. They claim the TMR version can go for 36 hours on a charge, though that’s presumably before cranking it up to an 8,000Hz polling rate — something Razer possibly left off the Hall effect model because of power usage. 

The disadvantage of the TMR sensor would be its cost, but it appears that it’s negligible when factored into the entire price of a controller. Both versions of the aforementioned Razer controller are $199. Both 8BitDo and GameSir have managed to stick them into reasonably priced controllers like the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, GameSir G7 Pro and GameSir Cyclone 2.

So which wins?

It seems TMR joysticks have all the advantages of Hall effect joysticks and then some, bringing better power efficiency that can help in wireless applications. The one big downside might be price, but from what we’ve seen right now, that doesn’t seem to be much of an issue. You can even find both technologies in controllers that cost less than some potentiometer models, like the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. 

Caveats to consider

For all the hype, neither Hall effect nor TMR joysticks are perfect. One of their key selling points is that they won’t experience stick drift, but there are still elements of the joystick that can wear down. The ring around the joystick can lose its smoothness. The stick material can wear down (ever tried to use a controller with the rubber worn off its joystick? It’s not pleasant). The linkages that hold the joystick upright and the springs that keep it stiff can loosen, degrade and fill with dust. All of these can impact the continued use of the joystick, even if the Hall effect or TMR sensor itself is in perfect operating order. 

So you might not get stick drift from a bad sensor, but you could get stick drift from a stick that simply doesn’t return to its original resting position. That’s when having a controller that’s serviceable or has swappable parts, like the PDP Victrix Pro BFG, could matter just as much as having one with Hall effect or TMR joysticks.  

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 18, #513

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 18, No. 513.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a fun yellow category that might just start you singing. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: I don’t care if I never get back.

Green group hint: Get that gold medal.

Blue group hint: Hoops superstar.

Purple group hint: Not front, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.»

Green group: Olympic snowboarding events.

Blue group: Vince Carter, informally.

Purple group: ____ back.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.» The four answers are Cracker Jack, home team, old ball game and peanuts.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Olympic snowboarding events. The four answers are big air, giant slalom, halfpipe and slopestyle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Vince Carter, informally. The four answers are Air Canada, Half-Man, Half-Amazing, VC and Vinsanity.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ back. The four answers are diamond, drop, quarter and razor.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Feb. 18

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 18.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword is a fun one, and it’s not terribly tough. It helps if you know a certain Olympian. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: ___ Glenn, Olympic figure skater who’s a three-time U.S. national champion
Answer: AMBER

6A clue: Popcorn size that might come in a bucket
Answer: LARGE

7A clue: Lies and the Lying ___ Who Tell Them» (Al Franken book)
Answer: LIARS

8A clue: Close-up map
Answer: INSET

9A clue: Prepares a home for a new baby
Answer: NESTS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Bold poker declaration
Answer: ALLIN

2D clue: Only U.S. state with a one-syllable name
Answer: MAINE

3D clue: Orchestra section with trumpets and horns
Answer: BRASS

4D clue: «Great» or «Snowy» wading bird
Answer: EGRET

5D clue: Some sheet music squiggles
Answer: RESTS

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