Best Time to Post on TikTok in 2025: When to Share for Maximum Reach

Have you ever poured your creativity into a TikTok video, editing it to perfection, only for it to land with a quiet thud in the vast ocean of content? You're not alone. While crafting engaging content is crucial, understanding when your audience is most active can be the difference between a viral hit and a forgotten post.

Maximizing your visibility on TikTok isn't about luck; it's about strategy. The platform's algorithm is designed to push fresh, engaging content to users, and posting at peak times gives your videos the best possible launchpad. By aligning your posting schedule with user behavior, you can significantly boost initial engagement, signaling to the algorithm that your content is worth showing to a wider audience. This guide combines extensive data analysis to give you a clear roadmap for the best times to post on TikTok in 2025.

Understanding the "Why" Behind Posting Times

Before diving into specific time slots, it's essential to grasp why timing matters so much on TikTok. When you publish a video, the algorithm first shows it to a small subset of your followers and other users it deems likely to be interested. The performance within this initial group is critical.

If the video receives strong early engagement—likes, comments, shares, and most importantly, high watch time—the algorithm takes it as a positive signal. It then pushes the video to a larger audience, and the cycle continues. Posting when your followers are actively scrolling gives your content the best chance to secure that vital early traction. This initial momentum can catapult your video onto countless For You Pages (FYPs).

However, there's no single "magic" time that works for everyone. The optimal posting schedule depends heavily on your target audience, their location, and their daily routines. The data presented here offers a powerful starting point, but the ultimate key to success lies in combining these global trends with your own account's analytics.

A Quick Note on Time Zones

The times mentioned in this guide are based on global data where times are recorded locally. This means you don't need to convert time zones. If the best time is listed as 5 PM, you should post at 5 PM in your primary target audience's time zone. Whether you're in New York (EST) or London (GMT), 5 PM is 5 PM.

The Best Global Times to Post on TikTok: 2025 Data Overview

Analysis of billions of interactions reveals a clear pattern: engagement on TikTok is heavily concentrated in the afternoon and evening hours. This makes sense, as users tend to scroll through the app after school, work, or during their downtime.

Generally, views and interactions begin to pick up around midday and peak in the late afternoon and evening. The work week, surprisingly, shows stronger and more sustained engagement than the weekends, where activity is often condensed into shorter, more specific windows.

Here is a high-level look at the best times to post on TikTok throughout the week for maximum reach:

• Mondays: 6 PM – 9 PM

• Tuesdays: 4 PM – 9 PM

• Wednesdays: 4 PM – 9 PM

• Thursdays: 5 PM – 9 PM

• Fridays: 3 PM – 10 PM

• Saturdays: 7 PM – 9 PM

• Sundays: 8 PM

The data suggests that the best days for consistent, high engagement are Monday through Thursday. While Friday has the longest window of activity, the engagement quality may not be as high as during the midweek peaks.

[image alt="Heatmap showing the best times to post on TikTok in 2025, with dark colors indicating high engagement during late afternoon and evening on weekdays."]

A Day-by-Day Breakdown of Peak TikTok Posting Times

Let's drill down into each day of the week to identify the absolute sweet spots for publishing your content.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Monday

The best times to post on TikTok on Monday are between 6 PM and 9 PM, with a peak around 7 PM.

The week kicks off with a clear evening engagement window. Users are unwinding after the first day back at work or school, scrolling their FYP to catch up on trends and find entertainment. This is a prime opportunity to capture their attention as they settle in for the evening.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Tuesday

The best times to post on TikTok on Tuesday are from 4 PM to 9 PM, with a strong peak at 4 PM and another around 8 PM.

As one of the strongest days of the week, Tuesday offers a broad and reliable window for high engagement. The sustained activity throughout the evening makes it a fantastic day to post high-effort content you want to get noticed.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Wednesday

The best times to post on TikTok on Wednesday are from 5 PM to 9 PM, with peaks at 5 PM and 6 PM.

Midweek momentum continues to build, with Wednesday being arguably the best day of the week to post overall. It mirrors Tuesday's pattern, offering a consistent block of high activity. If you have a video you believe has viral potential, posting it on a Wednesday evening is a solid strategy.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Thursday

The best times to post on TikTok on Thursday are from 5 PM to 9 PM, with secondary peaks at 1 PM and 3 PM.

Rounding out the trio of high-engagement weekdays, Thursday follows a similar pattern. The 5 PM to 9 PM window is a dependable sweet spot as users begin to wind down for the week and anticipate the weekend.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Friday

The best time to post on TikTok on Friday is from 3 PM to 10 PM, with peaks at 4 PM and 6 PM.

As the weekend officially begins, user activity on TikTok starts earlier and lasts later. Friday boasts the longest window of high engagement, suggesting audiences are scrolling from mid-afternoon well into the night. While the window is long, remember that engagement might be slightly more diluted than the concentrated peaks of midweek.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Saturday

The best times to post on TikTok on Saturday are from 5 PM to 9 PM, with a tight peak between 7 PM and 9 PM.

Saturday is often a quieter day on TikTok, as people are typically out and about. Engagement becomes much more concentrated in the evening. While still a valuable time to post, the overall opportunity is more limited compared to weekdays.

Best Time to Post on TikTok on Sunday

The best time to post on TikTok on Sunday is a highly concentrated peak at 8 PM, with secondary windows at 4 PM and 5 PM.

Sunday sees the lowest overall engagement of the week across most social platforms. However, it features a very specific, powerful peak hour at 8 PM. This is when users are wrapping up their weekend and preparing for the week ahead, often leading to a final scroll session. This presents a targeted opportunity, but posting outside this narrow window may not yield great results.

Tailoring Your Strategy: Best TikTok Posting Times by Industry

Global averages provide a great foundation, but optimal times can vary significantly depending on your industry and target audience. Here’s a look at when to post for several key sectors.

Food & Beverage

• Best Days: Fridays

• Best Times: Mondays (5 PM), Tuesdays & Wednesdays (4 PM), Thursdays (3 PM), Fridays (12 PM - 5 PM)

• Worst Day: Sundays

The food and beverage industry sees engagement build throughout the week, culminating on Friday as users look for weekend dining inspiration, recipes, and promotions. The broad Friday afternoon window is perfect for showcasing new menu items or special offers.

Retail & E-commerce

• Best Days: Wednesdays

• Best Times: Mondays (3 PM - 4 PM), Wednesdays (2 PM - 5 PM), Thursdays (3 PM - 4 PM)

• Worst Day: Saturdays

Consumers engage with retail brands most often on weekday afternoons. This is likely when they are taking breaks from work or browsing after their workday. Product discovery, brand awareness, and social shopping are key activities during these hours.

Education & Schools

• Best Days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays

• Best Times: Mondays, Fridays (4 PM), Tuesdays & Wednesdays (4 PM - 5 PM), Thursdays (5 PM)

• Worst Day: Sundays

Educational institutions need to engage with students, alumni, and prospective applicants. Unsurprisingly, the best times are concentrated in the late afternoon on weekdays, right after school hours.

Healthcare & Hospitals

• Best Days: Wednesdays

• Best Times: Tuesdays (2 PM), Wednesdays (2 PM, with an early morning window at 4-5 AM)

• Worst Day: Fridays

Healthcare providers use TikTok to educate the public, build trust, and share wellness tips. Engagement is highest midweek, with a notable early morning slot on Wednesday that might capture shift workers or early risers.

Home Services & Energy Sector

• Best Days: Mondays, Wednesdays

• Best Times: Late afternoons on weekdays, some weekend activity

• Worst Day: Fridays

Even industries you might not immediately associate with TikTok, like renewable energy, can find a dedicated audience. For businesses providing B2C services like the installation of panneaux solaires or borne de recharge for electric vehicles, timing should align with when homeowners are thinking about home improvements and energy bills. This often occurs during late afternoons as they return from work or on weekends when they have time for research. Creating content that explains the benefits of a pompe à chaleur or a smart energy pilotage system can perform well when posted just before these peak consideration times.

Expert Tip: Test Niche Timings

For specialized industries, don't be afraid to test unconventional times. A brand focused on smart home energy solutions might find success posting on a Sunday afternoon, when families are home and discussing household expenses and future projects. The key is to think like your customer and align your schedule with their daily life.

How to Find Your Perfect Time to Post on TikTok

The data in this article is your starting point, not your destination. The most accurate "best time to post" is unique to your account. Fortunately, TikTok provides the tools you need to find it.

1. Dive into Your TikTok Analytics

If you have a Business or Creator account, you have access to a wealth of data. Here’s how to find your audience's activity patterns:

1. Go to your TikTok profile.

2. Tap the three lines in the top-right corner to open Settings and privacy.

3. Select Creator Tools or Business Suite.

4. Tap on Analytics.

5. Navigate to the Followers tab.

6. Scroll down to the Follower activity section.

Here, you'll see charts showing the hours and days your followers were most active over the last 7 days. This is the most valuable data you have.

2. Identify and Test Your Peak Hours

Look for consistent patterns in your analytics. Are there specific hours that are always busy? Note down the top 3-5 time slots.

Your next step is to experiment. For the next two weeks, schedule your posts to go live during these identified peak times. Remember to post slightly before the peak hour to give the algorithm time to start distributing your video as activity ramps up.

3. Track and Analyze Your Performance

Experimentation is useless without tracking. Create a simple spreadsheet to monitor your results. For each video, log:

• Date and Time Posted

• Content Type (e.g., tutorial, trend, behind-the-scenes)

• Views after 1 hour, 24 hours, and 7 days

• Likes, Comments, Shares

• Average Watch Time

After a few weeks, you will see clear patterns emerge, connecting specific posting times to better performance.

4. Consider Your Content Type

While video is king on TikTok, other formats are gaining traction. Our analysis found that while videos get the most views, the gap isn't enormous:

• Videos see about 7% more views than photos/carousels.

• Photos/Carousels see about 11% more views than text posts.

Experiment with different formats during your peak times. You may find that a photo carousel performs exceptionally well on a Tuesday afternoon, while a longer, more detailed video is better suited for a Wednesday evening.

Attention: The Ever-Evolving Algorithm

TikTok trends and user behavior shift constantly. Your "best time to post" today might not be the best time in three months. Make it a habit to review your analytics and re-test your posting schedule on a quarterly basis to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your strategy remains effective.

Finding your optimal posting time is an ongoing process of learning and adaptation. Use the global data as your guide, but let your own analytics be your map. By combining broad trends with specific insights about your unique audience, you can develop a powerful posting strategy that gives every piece of content the best possible chance to succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single best time to post on TikTok?

While there is no universal "best" time, the data points to Wednesday evenings between 5 PM and 9 PM as a period of consistently high engagement. However, for maximum success, you should use this as a starting point and then consult your own account's analytics to find the specific times your unique audience is most active.

Is it a bad idea to post on weekends?

Not necessarily, but weekend engagement is different. While overall activity is lower than on weekdays, there are concentrated peaks, such as Saturday evenings around 7-9 PM and a very strong peak on Sunday at 8 PM. If you post on the weekend, aim for these specific windows rather than posting randomly. These can be great times to reach a more relaxed and engaged audience.

How often should I be posting on TikTok?

Consistency is more important than frequency. Aim to post at least 3-5 times per week to stay relevant and keep your audience engaged. However, it's better to post three high-quality videos per week at optimal times than to post seven low-quality videos at random hours. Focus on creating valuable content first, then build a sustainable schedule around your peak engagement windows.