What is a TikTok hook?

The hook is the first thing a viewer sees. In a video it is the first second or two; in a slideshow it is the whole first slide, read before anyone swipes. Its only job is to earn the swipe to slide two. It does not need to mention your app, and on most good posts it does not.

How are slideshow hooks different from video hooks?

Video hooks are spoken and compete for attention within a second. Slideshow hooks are read, so they can be a full sentence, use a number or a comparison, and sit still long enough to be understood. They also need to work as text on a photo, so the hook should be short enough to read at phone size, usually under 15 words.

How long should a hook be?

Eight to fifteen words works on a 9:16 slide at a readable font size. If a hook needs two lines of explanation, move the explanation to slide two. The hook raises the question; the next slides answer it.

Can I use these hooks for Instagram carousels too?

Yes. The same first slide works as the cover of an Instagram carousel. Instagram shows the first slide in the feed before anyone taps, so the hook matters there just as much. Resize to 4:5 for the Instagram feed; SlideBase does that automatically when you share a 9:16 post to Instagram.

Do these hooks go viral?

No hook guarantees anything. A good hook raises the share of people who swipe to slide two; the rest depends on the slides behind it, the sound, posting consistency and whether the audience you are reaching actually has the problem. Treat this list as starting points to test, not promises.

How does SlideBase generate hooks for my app?

You paste your App Store or Google Play link, or type a name and description. SlideBase reads the listing, works out your audiences and what annoys them, and writes six to eight hooks per audience in these formats. You pick one and it writes the slides, caption and hashtags, lays out the photos in your brand colours and lets you post or schedule to TikTok and Instagram.

Free hook library

60 TikTok hooks for apps, written for the first slide.

A hook is slide one of a slideshow: the sentence people read before they decide to swipe. These 60 TikTok hooks for apps are grouped by category, each with a note on why it works and how to adapt it to your own app. Copy them, change the {placeholders}, test them.

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Principles

What makes a hook work on slide one

A TikTok slideshow is read, not watched. That changes what a hook has to do. There is no voice, no motion and no face to carry it, just a sentence on a photo that has to earn one swipe. Four principles keep coming up in the hooks that work for apps:

Open a gap, do not close it. “The mistake in every dating profile: the third photo” makes you check your own profile. “Our app fixes your dating profile” does not. The hook raises the question; slides two to five answer it; the app appears when the answer needs a tool.
Be specific to the point of oddness. Day 23, $214, 11GB, Thursday. Specific details read as true and generic ones read as ads. Only use numbers that are actually yours, or leave a {placeholder} and fill it with your own.
Write for one person with one problem. Not “productivity tips” but “freelancers whose income changes every month”. Your App Store reviews are full of these people; borrow their words.
Keep the app out of slide one. Almost none of the 60 hooks below name the app. The first slide sells the swipe, the last slide sells the download. Mixing the two weakens both.

The formats you will see mixed below: question, contrarian, number, “nobody tells you”, before/after, mistake and POV. If you want the strategy around them, read the TikTok slideshow strategy for apps first; for more post ideas beyond the hook, see TikTok content ideas for apps.

Group 1 of 6

Hooks for fitness and health apps

Health audiences have heard every promise. The hooks that work admit a small, specific truth first and save the app for the last slide.

I tracked every meal for 30 days. Here is the one thing I was wrong about. Before/after with a confession. Slide two names the wrong belief, the app shows up as how you found out.
Nobody tells you that the first two weeks of a cut are mostly water. A “nobody tells you” fact. Works for calorie and weight apps because it is true and slightly deflating.
Stop counting steps. Count this instead. Contrarian against the most common metric. The middle slides explain the replacement metric {your app} tracks.
3 signs your protein target is set wrong (I had all three). Numbered symptom list. Readers self-diagnose, then the fix on slide five is the app’s calculation.
POV: you skipped the gym and your app said that was the right call. POV format for recovery and rest-day features. Reframes the app as a sane voice, not a nag.
The mistake that made my gym logs useless for a year. Mistake format. Good for workout trackers: the mistake is usually not logging rest times or weights.
Why do I feel worse after a “healthy” lunch? I finally checked. Question that readers have asked themselves. The checking is what your app does; show the screenshot.
What 2,000 calories actually looks like on a plate, in 6 slides. Number hook with a visual payoff. Each slide is one meal photo and its count. Ends with how to see your own.
I ran for 6 weeks and got slower. Here is what my data showed. Before/after that goes the wrong way. Curiosity is stronger than a success story, and the data is the app.
You do not need a meal plan. You need to know 4 numbers. Contrarian plus number. Slides two to five are the four numbers, slide six is where {your app} shows them daily.

Group 2 of 6

Hooks for productivity and habit apps

This category is crowded with generic tips. Be specific about one failure mode and the hook will stand out on a feed full of “5 productivity hacks”.

I deleted my to-do list app and finished more. Then I came back for one feature. Contrarian with a twist. Honest about the category’s weakness, then the one feature is your differentiator.
Nobody tells you a habit tracker works best for habits you already half do. A “nobody tells you” insight. Reframes who the app is for and filters for the right users.
Your streak broke on day 23. Here is why that is the normal number. Oddly specific number earns a swipe. Slide two explains the three-week dip, slide five shows the recovery feature.
POV: it is 11pm and tomorrow is already planned. POV that sells a feeling, not a feature. Slides show the evening planning flow as a calm ritual.
The 4 tasks I never put on a list anymore (and what I do instead). Number plus a mistake. The “instead” is where {your app} handles recurring or tiny tasks automatically.
Why does my focus timer make me more anxious? I changed one setting. Question hook aimed at Pomodoro users. One setting is a small, believable fix and very screenshot-friendly.
Before: 14 apps open. After: this one screen. Before/after in two lines. Great for all-in-one or dashboard apps; the after screen is slide six.
I asked 20 friends what time they actually start working. Nobody said 9. Casual research framing. Keep it honest (it is your own informal poll) and lead into flexible scheduling.
The mistake in every morning routine video: they start at the wrong end. Mistake hook that picks a fight with a trend. Slide two says start with the night before, the app follows.
Stop planning your week on Sunday. Do this on Thursday instead. Contrarian with a concrete swap. The method lives in slides two to five, the app makes it a two-minute task.

Group 3 of 6

Hooks for finance and budgeting apps

Money hooks must avoid implied returns and guarantees. Use personal, specific, boring details; they read as honest and that is rare in this feed.

I found $214 a month I did not know I was spending. All in subscriptions. Specific number, relatable category. Only use a figure you can stand behind, or write it as {your number}.
Nobody tells you budgeting fails because of the categories, not the discipline. A “nobody tells you” reframe. Slide two shows a bad category list, slide four shows how {your app} groups spending.
Stop saving 20%. Here is why that rule breaks for freelancers. Contrarian against a famous rule, aimed at a precise audience. Variable-income budgeting is the feature.
3 bank notifications I turned off and 1 I turned on. Number hook with a mini payoff on every slide. The one you turned on is your app’s alert.
POV: payday, and you already know where every dollar goes. POV selling the feeling of control. Show the allocation screen, not a stock photo of coins.
The budgeting mistake I made for 3 years: tracking after the month ended. Mistake with a timeline. Leads straight into real-time or pre-planned budgets.
Why does my “no spend week” always end on Thursday? Question with humour. Slide two names the pattern, slide five shows how the app flags it before Thursday.
Before: 4 cards, 3 apps, 0 idea. After: one number I check each morning. Before/after with counts. The “one number” is your safe-to-spend or equivalent feature.
I split rent with 3 roommates for a year. Here is what finally stopped the arguments. Story hook for shared-expense apps. The arguments are relatable, the fix is the app.
Your emergency fund goal is probably wrong. Mine was off by double. Contrarian plus personal admission. Keep it honest and show the calculation {your app} makes.

Group 4 of 6

Hooks for education and language apps

Learners scroll past “learn fast” claims. What stops them is a specific mistake they recognise or a small win they can picture.

I studied Spanish for 2 years and could not order coffee. Here is what I changed. Before/after with an embarrassing, concrete failure. The change is the method your app teaches.
Nobody tells you that flashcards stop working at around 500 cards. A “nobody tells you” with a number. Slide two explains why, slide five shows how {your app} handles review load.
Stop learning vocabulary lists. Learn these 6 sentence frames. Contrarian plus number. Each slide is one frame, which also makes the post useful on its own.
3 words that sound polite in English and rude in German. Numbered, shareable, and specific to a language pair. Swap the pair for your app’s languages.
POV: your 5-minute lesson is the only thing you did for yourself today. POV that sells the small ritual. Good for apps competing on short daily lessons.
The mistake every self-taught coder makes in month two. Mistake hook for coding apps. The month-two detail makes the reader check whether it is them.
Why can I read Japanese but not hear it? A 6-slide answer. Question that language learners actually ask. Promise an answer, not a product, until slide six.
Before: 40 bookmarked tutorials. After: one thing I finished. Before/after for any structured course app. The finished thing is the proof slide.
I tested my vocabulary after 6 months of daily streaks. The number surprised me. Curiosity with a real test. Only use your own result; otherwise write {your result}.
You are not bad at maths. You skipped one chapter in year 8. Contrarian and kind. Slide two names the chapter (fractions, usually), the app offers the way back.

Group 5 of 6

Hooks for dating and social apps

This is where apps like RIZZ and Couple Joy grew, largely with slideshow posts. The format fits because screenshots of conversations and messages read well as slides.

I sent the same opener to 10 matches. Here is the version that got 7 replies. Number plus a test. Show the openers as slides; keep the numbers to your own real test.
Nobody tells you that the second message matters more than the first. A “nobody tells you” that most people have not considered. Slides two to five are second-message examples.
Stop asking “how was your day”. Ask one of these 5 instead. Contrarian with a quick list. The list is the value, the app writes more of them.
3 texts that sound confident and 3 that sound needy. Same meaning. Numbered contrast. Side-by-side pairs are perfect for slides.
POV: your date is in an hour and you have no idea what to talk about. POV for a felt moment. The app is the five-minute preparation on slide six.
The mistake in almost every dating profile: the third photo. Mistake hook with a specific position. Readers check their own profile before swiping.
Why do my conversations die after 4 messages? I counted. Question with a personal count. Slide two explains the pattern, slides three to five fix it.
Before: “hey”. After: a first message she screenshotted to her friends. Before/after for an AI messaging app. Keep the after honest and plausible.
We have been together 3 years and still had nothing to talk about on Tuesdays. Story hook for couples apps. Tuesday makes it specific; the app’s prompts are the fix.
6 questions to ask on a third date that are not about work. Number plus a precise situation. Every slide is useful on its own; the app has 200 more.

Group 6 of 6

Hooks for utilities and AI tools

Utility apps have the hardest job: nobody wakes up wanting a PDF scanner. Hook the moment of friction, not the feature.

I asked 4 AI apps the same question. One of them lied with confidence. Number plus a test with a twist. Show the answers as slides; make sure you actually ran the test.
Nobody tells you your phone already has 6 photos of every receipt you lost. A “nobody tells you” for scanner and document apps. The app finds and organises them.
Stop screenshotting recipes. Do this instead. Contrarian against a universal habit. The “instead” is your import or clipper feature.
3 things I stopped typing into ChatGPT once I found a tool built for the job. Numbered list for a focused AI app. Each slide is one task and the better workflow.
POV: it is 2am and the file you need is on the other laptop. POV friction moment. Sync, transfer or backup apps all fit here.
The mistake that deletes 1 in 5 of your scanned documents (and the setting that stops it). Mistake with a setting. Use a ratio only if it is your own measured data; otherwise drop the number.
Why does my phone storage fill up every month? The answer was 11GB of one thing. Question with a specific reveal. The reveal is on slide two, the cleanup tool on slide six.
Before: 47 tabs. After: a reading list I actually finished. Before/after with a count everyone recognises. Read-later and bookmark apps.
I let an AI rewrite my one-star reviews response. Here is what it got wrong. Honest AI hook: showing the limits earns trust, and the fixed version is the app.
The one setting in {your app} that saves me 20 minutes every Monday. Specific, time-bound, small. Works for any utility with one strong feature; show the setting, not the icon.

From hook to post

Turning a hook into a full post

A hook alone is a sentence. A post is six to eight slides that pay it off. Here is the shape most app slideshows follow, whether you build them by hand or let SlideBase write them from your listing.

1
Pick the hook, name the gap
Choose one hook and write down, in one line, the question it leaves open. If you cannot, the hook is a statement, not a hook. Rewrite it.
2
Pay it off across slides 2 to 5
One idea per slide, one or two sentences each. Follow value (hook, benefit, call to action) or story (hook, problem, discovery, result, call to action). Keep the text readable at phone size over a text-free photo.
3
Land the app on the last slide
Slide six shows the app doing the thing the hook promised: a real screenshot and a plain line like “this is what I use”. Add a caption that restates the hook, up to five hashtags, and post or schedule it.

Then repeat. The apps that grew with this format, such as Cal AI, Umax and RIZZ, did it with volume and consistency rather than a single perfect post. If you want a daily post without a camera or a designer, faceless app marketing explains the approach and the TikTok slideshow scheduler covers how posting and automation work.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a TikTok hook?: The hook is the first thing a viewer sees. In a video it is the first second or two; in a slideshow it is the whole first slide, read before anyone swipes. Its only job is to earn the swipe to slide two. It does not need to mention your app, and on most good posts it does not.
How are slideshow hooks different from video hooks?: Video hooks are spoken and compete for attention within a second. Slideshow hooks are read, so they can be a full sentence, use a number or a comparison, and sit still long enough to be understood. They also need to work as text on a photo, so the hook should be short enough to read at phone size, usually under 15 words.
How long should a hook be?: Eight to fifteen words works on a 9:16 slide at a readable font size. If a hook needs two lines of explanation, move the explanation to slide two. The hook raises the question; the next slides answer it.
Can I use these hooks for Instagram carousels too?: Yes. The same first slide works as the cover of an Instagram carousel. Instagram shows the first slide in the feed before anyone taps, so the hook matters there just as much. Resize to 4:5 for the Instagram feed; SlideBase does that automatically when you share a 9:16 post to Instagram.
Do these hooks go viral?: No hook guarantees anything. A good hook raises the share of people who swipe to slide two; the rest depends on the slides behind it, the sound, posting consistency and whether the audience you are reaching actually has the problem. Treat this list as starting points to test, not promises.
How does SlideBase generate hooks for my app?: You paste your App Store or Google Play link, or type a name and description. SlideBase reads the listing, works out your audiences and what annoys them, and writes six to eight hooks per audience in these formats. You pick one and it writes the slides, caption and hashtags, lays out the photos in your brand colours and lets you post or schedule to TikTok and Instagram.

Hooks written from your own App Store listing.

Paste your link. SlideBase reads your app, finds the audiences and writes hooks in these formats for each one, then builds the slides. You decide what goes live.

Generate hooks for my app

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