Step-by-Step Guide: Building a TikTok Clone with Adalo

This comprehensive tutorial will guide you through building a TikTok-style video sharing app using Adalo's no-code platform. While Adalo has limitations for full-screen vertical video feeds, we'll create a functional video-sharing social app with creative workarounds.

Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account

1. Go to Adalo.com and sign up
2. Click "Create New App"
3. Choose "Mobile App" (essential for video features)
4. Select "Start from Scratch"
5. Name your app (e.g., "VideoShare")

Step 2: Configure App Design

1. Choose a dark theme (black background)
2. Select accent colors (bright pink/blue for TikTok style)
3. Pick a modern, bold font
4. Set up responsive settings for mobile
5. Click "Continue" to enter editor

Building the Database Structure

Step 3: Enhance Users Collection

1. Click Database icon in left sidebar
2. Select default "Users" collection
3. Add these properties (click "+ Add Property"):
   
   • Username (Text - unique identifier)
   • Display Name (Text)
   • Profile Picture (Image)
   • Bio (Text - Multiline)
   • Followers Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Following Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Total Likes (Number - default: 0)
   • Verified (True/False - default: false)
   • Private Account (True/False - default: false)

Learn about database setup

Step 4: Create Videos Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Videos"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Video File (File - up to 40MB)
   • Thumbnail (Image)
   • Caption (Text - Multiline)
   • Hashtags (Text)
   • Sound Name (Text)
   • Views Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Likes Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Comments Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Shares Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Duration (Number - seconds)
   • Is Private (True/False)

Step 5: Create Follows Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Follows"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
4. Relationships:
   
   • Follower → Users (Many to One)
   • Following → Users (Many to One)

Step 6: Create Likes Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Likes"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
4. Relationships:
   
   • User → Users (Many to One)
   • Video → Videos (Many to One)

Step 7: Create Comments Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Comments"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Text (Text - Multiline)
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Likes Count (Number - default: 0)
4. Relationships:
   
   • Author → Users (Many to One)
   • Video → Videos (Many to One)
   • Reply To → Comments (Many to One)

Step 8: Create Sounds Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Sounds"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Name (Text)
   • Artist (Text)
   • Audio File (File)
   • Cover Image (Image)
   • Duration (Number)
   • Uses Count (Number - default: 0)

Step 9: Set Up Additional Relationships

In Videos collection, add:

• Creator → Users (Many to One)
• Sound → Sounds (Many to One)

Installing Required Components

Step 10: Install Video Component

1. Native Video Component is built into Adalo 2.0
2. For vertical video, consider third-party options:
   
   • Search Marketplace for "Vertical Video"
   • NoCode Monkey's Vertical Video Component (paid)

Step 11: Install Additional Components

From Marketplace:

1. Audio Player - for sound playback
2. Star Rating - for creator ratings
3. Progress Bar - for video progress
4. Deck Swiper - alternative for swipe navigation

How to add marketplace components

Creating the Video Feed

Step 12: Build Main Feed Screen

Note: Adalo doesn't support true TikTok-style vertical swiping. Here's the best workaround:

1. Create new screen "Feed"
2. Remove app bar for full-screen effect
3. Add Custom List:
   
   • Data source: Videos
   • Filter: Is Private = false
   • Sort: Created At (Newest First)
   • Limit items: 10 (for performance)

Step 13: Design Video Card

Inside the Custom List:

1. Set list item height to full screen
2. Add Video Component:
   
   • Source: Current Video → Video File URL
   • Layout: "Crop Video to Fill Space"
   • Show Controls: False
   • Autoplay: True (mobile limitations apply)
   • Mute on Start: True

Video component documentation

Step 14: Add Video Overlay UI

Layer these components over the video:

1. User Info (bottom left):
   
   • Profile picture (40x40 circle)
   • Username text
   • Follow button
2. Video Info (bottom):
   
   • Caption text
   • Sound name with music icon
3. Engagement Buttons (right side):
   
   • Heart icon for likes
   • Comment icon
   • Share icon
   • Sound icon

Step 15: Implement Engagement Actions

1. Like Button:
   
   
   
   • Add conditional actions
   • If like exists: Delete like, decrease count
   • If no like: Create like, increase count
   • Update icon color based on like status
2. Follow Button:
   
   
   
   • Similar conditional logic
   • Update follower/following counts
3. Comment Icon:
   
   
   
   • Link to Comments screen
   • Pass current video data

Step 16: Create Video Navigation

Since vertical swiping isn't native:

1. Add invisible buttons:
   
   • Top half: Previous video
   • Bottom half: Next video
2. Or use pagination:
   
   • Add "Load More" at list bottom
   • Implement pull-to-refresh

Building Video Creation

Step 17: Create Camera Screen

1. Add new screen "Create"
2. Add File Picker component:
   
   • Accept: Video files only
   • Max size: 40MB message
3. Alternative: Link to device camera
   
   • Use custom action to open camera
   • Return to app for upload

Step 18: Build Upload Flow

1. Create "Upload Details" screen
2. Add form components:
   
   • Text Input for caption
   • Text Input for hashtags
   • Dropdown for privacy setting
   • Image Picker for custom thumbnail
3. Add sound selection:
   
   • List of available sounds
   • "Use Original Audio" option

Step 19: Configure Video Upload

1. On form submit:
   
   • Create Video record
   • Upload video file (show progress)
   • Generate/upload thumbnail
   • Navigate to success screen
2. Add upload validations:
   
   • File size check
   • Duration limit
   • Format verification

Creating Social Features

Step 20: Build User Profile

1. Create "Profile" screen
2. Add header section:
   
   • Profile picture (editable)
   • Username and display name
   • Followers/Following counts
   • Total likes
   • Edit Profile button
3. Add tabs below:
   
   • Videos tab
   • Liked videos tab
   • Private videos (if own profile)

Step 21: Implement Follow System

1. On profile, add Follow/Following button:
   
   • Check if follow relationship exists
   • Toggle follow status
   • Update counts in real-time
2. Create followers/following lists:
   
   • Clickable to visit profiles
   • Search functionality

Step 22: Create Comments Section

1. Build "Comments" screen
2. Add Custom List for comments:
   
   • Show author info
   • Display comment text
   • Add like button for comments
   • Reply functionality
3. Add comment input at bottom:
   
   • Text input
   • Send button
   • @ mention support

Step 23: Build Discover Page

1. Create "Discover" screen
2. Add search bar at top
3. Create sections:
   
   • Trending hashtags
   • Trending sounds
   • Suggested accounts
   • Category-based videos
4. Implement search:
   
   • Users search
   • Videos by caption/hashtags
   • Sounds search

Adding Interactive Features

Step 24: Implement Sound Pages

1. Create "Sound Details" screen
2. Display:
   
   • Sound info and cover
   • Original creator
   • Videos using this sound
   • "Use This Sound" button
3. Add to video creation flow

Step 25: Create Notifications

1. Build "Notifications" screen
2. Create Notifications collection:
   
   • Type (like, comment, follow)
   • Read status
   • Related user/video
3. Trigger notifications on:
   
   • New followers
   • Likes on videos
   • Comments
   • Mentions

Push notifications setup

Step 26: Add Direct Messages

1. Create Messages/Conversations collections
2. Build inbox screen
3. Add chat functionality
4. Share videos via DM

How to add chat

Implementing Advanced Features

Step 27: Create For You Algorithm

Simple recommendation system:

1. Track user interactions:
   
   • Watch time per video
   • Likes, comments, shares
   • Profile visits
2. Create scoring system:
   
   • Popular videos (high engagement)
   • Recent videos
   • Following's videos
3. Mix in feed:
   
   • 70% recommended
   • 30% following

Step 28: Add Video Effects

Limitation: No AR filters in Adalo Workarounds:

1. Add text overlays on videos
2. Basic color filters via CSS
3. Sticker overlays (image components)
4. External editing before upload

Step 29: Implement Analytics

For creators:

1. Create Analytics screen
2. Display:
   
   • Total views
   • Average watch time
   • Engagement rate
   • Follower growth
3. Use charts for visualization

Step 30: Build Live Streaming

Note: Not natively supported Alternative:

1. Link to external streaming service
2. Embed stream viewer
3. Create "Live" indicator on profiles
4. Schedule live notifications

Optimizing Performance

Step 31: Handle Video Loading

1. Implement lazy loading:
   
   • Load 3-5 videos at once
   • Preload next video
2. Show loading indicators
3. Add error handling for failed loads
4. Compress videos before upload

Step 32: Optimize Feed Performance

1. Limit initial load to 10 videos
2. Implement pagination
3. Clear old cached data
4. Use thumbnail previews
5. Reduce component complexity

Testing and Launch

Step 33: Test Core Features

1. Video upload and playback
2. All interaction buttons
3. Follow/unfollow flows
4. Comment system
5. Search functionality
6. Profile editing
7. Performance on devices

Step 34: Prepare for Publishing

1. Upgrade to Professional plan ($65/month)
2. Configure app store settings
3. Create content guidelines
4. Set up moderation system
5. Add reporting features
6. Create privacy policy

Working with Limitations

What's Not Possible:

• True vertical swipe navigation
• Real-time video filters
• Native live streaming
• Videos over 40MB
• Background video upload
• Advanced video editing

Recommended Workarounds:

1. Use pagination instead of swiping
2. External video editing apps
3. Video compression before upload
4. Third-party components for enhanced features
5. Progressive web app for larger videos

Additional Resources

• Adalo YouTube Tutorials
• Video Component Guide
• Database Best Practices
• Component Marketplace
• What Adalo Can Do

Cost Considerations

Monthly Costs:

• Starter Plan ($45): Basic features, limited
• Professional ($65): Recommended for video apps
• Team ($200): For multiple developers
• Business ($250): Advanced features

Additional Costs:

• Third-party video components: $20-100
• Video storage/CDN: Variable
• Custom components: $50-500

Final Notes

This TikTok clone will be a simplified version due to Adalo's constraints. Focus on core features:

• Video sharing with basic feeds
• Social interactions (likes, comments, follows)
• User profiles and discovery
• Basic search and hashtags

For a more authentic TikTok experience, consider:

• Custom development for vertical swiping
• External API integration for video processing
• Third-party components for enhanced features
• Hybrid approach with native code

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