TikTok photo post error app_version_check_failed: needs app 31.8+

The photo post API returns app_version_check_failed when you use MEDIA_UPLOAD mode and the creator's TikTok app is older than version 31.8. The fix is on the creator's side: update the app. In DIRECT_POST mode the page read for this post lists no such version rule, so a failure there points elsewhere.

Where does this error come from?

TikTok's Photo Post reference lists it under error handling, next to url_ownership_unverified, which fires when a URL-based upload uses a domain you have not verified. Only PULL_FROM_URL is supported as a source for photos, so every photo post needs a verified domain or URL prefix anyway.

The same page gives the post shape: up to 35 images, a title of at most 90 UTF-16 runes, a description of at most 4000, a required photo_cover_index, and a rate limit of six requests per minute per access token.

How do you handle it in a product?

Catch the error code and show a plain message that names the app version, instead of a generic failure. Do not retry the call; the same app will fail the same way. If your flow supports DIRECT_POST as well, offer it as the alternative only after you have confirmed on TikTok's pages which scope and audit status it needs.

The sketch below shows the branch.

def explain(code: str) -> str:
    if code == "app_version_check_failed":
        return "Update TikTok to version 31.8 or newer, then try again."
    if code == "url_ownership_unverified":
        return "Verify the image host domain in the developer portal."
    return "Unexpected error: " + code

print(explain("app_version_check_failed"))

Where does Sume fit?

Sume makes the stills: the Image docs list output_format values of png, jpeg, jpg and webp. It does not post photos, hold a TikTok token, or see this error. For the image-format side, see the WebP and JPEG post.