With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. However, concerns around privacy and security have also grown as the app’s userbase expands. Recent controversies like employees accessing user data have raised alarm bells for many TikTok users.
One aspect that remains ambiguous to some is the visibility of your following list. Can other users see the accounts you follow on TikTok? Understanding these privacy settings is key for anyone looking to use TikTok safely and avoid unwanted attention. This guide will provide clarity around who can view your TikTok following list and how to control its visibility.
Basics of Following on TikTok
TikTok has a one-way following system, meaning you can follow other users but they don’t have to follow you back. When you follow someone on TikTok, you will see the videos they post to their profile in your Following feed. The users you follow will not automatically see your videos or receive notifications about your activity unless they also choose to follow you back. So following is a way to subscribe to a user’s content.
To follow a user, simply go to their profile and tap the “+” icon next to the Follow button. You can unfollow users at any time by going to their profile and tapping the “Following” button. TikTok makes it easy to find and follow new users through recommendations on the Discover page and by suggesting accounts similar to the ones you already follow.
Your Follower List is Private by Default
One of the key privacy features of TikTok is that your follower list is private by default. This means that other users cannot see who is following you unless you explicitly make your follower list public.
When you first create a TikTok account, the settings are configured such that your follower list is private. TikTok does this to protect users’ privacy and prevent other users from snooping on who chooses to follow them.
So by default, your followers are invisible to anyone else on TikTok besides you. The only way another user could see your followers is if you change your account settings to make your follower list public, which we’ll discuss more in the next section.
Overall, you can rest assured that when you start using TikTok, your list of followers is completely private. TikTok gives you full control over who can view your followers.
Making Your Follower List Public
By default, your follower list on TikTok is private. This means other users can’t see who follows you unless you choose to make it public. Here’s how to make your TikTok follower list public:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu icon in the top right and select “Settings and privacy”.
3. Tap on “Privacy” and then toggle the switch next to “Private account” to off/white. This will make your account public.
4. Under “Account information”, toggle “Show user’s followers and who they are following” to on/blue. This makes your follower list public.
Once you save these changes, any user will be able to see who follows you on your public profile. You can toggle these settings back at any time if you want to make your account or follower list private again.
Public Follower Lists Have Limitations
While making your follower list public on TikTok allows others to see who follows you, there are some limitations to be aware of if you choose this option:
No profile details are shown – the public follower list will only display the username of each follower. It does not provide any additional details like bio info, videos, follower/following counts, etc. So the visibility is limited compared to seeing someone’s full public profile.
Public follower lists only show a limited number of followers. TikTok caps the follower list to show only the most recent few thousand followers. For accounts with higher follower counts, their full list is not exposed.
The public follower list updates infrequently. It does not show followers in real-time, so there is often a delay before new followers appear on the public list.
In summary, while public follower lists provide some visibility into who follows an account, the amount of detail is limited compared to other social media platforms. There are restrictions in place to protect user privacy.
Seeing Who a User Follows
Unlike some other social media platforms, TikTok does not allow users to see who someone is following unless that user has made their following list public. When you visit another user’s profile on TikTok, you will not see a list of accounts they follow. Their following list is private by default.
There is no way to view the accounts someone follows on TikTok if they have decided to keep that information private. Even if your account is public, your following list will remain hidden unless you actively choose to make it public in your settings. TikTok gives users full control over the visibility of their following list. The only way to see who someone is following is if they have selected the option to make that list public.
So in summary, you cannot see who a TikTok user follows unless they have set their account to have a public following list. TikTok keeps these lists private by default as a security measure.
Your Following List is Private
While your follower list may be public or private depending on your settings, your own following list is always private by default on TikTok. This means that other users cannot see who you follow when they visit your profile.
TikTok never shows the full list of accounts a user is following to other people. The only person who can view the complete list is the account owner. According to TikTok’s privacy policy, your following list is considered private user information that is not shared publicly.
So you don’t have to worry about other TikTok users being able to see all of the accounts you follow. Your following activity is kept private from other users. The only indication they may get is if you like or comment on someone’s videos frequently.
Using Alt Accounts to Follow Anonymously
Some TikTok users create alternate “alt” accounts so they can follow other users without them knowing. With an alt account, your main account’s identity remains private. You can use the alt account to like, comment on, and follow other TikTokers without showing up in their follower list.
According to Reddit users, having a separate alt account is one of the only ways to anonymously follow someone on TikTok [1]. While TikTok does not officially endorse this, it is a common practice in the community.
To use an alt account, first create a new TikTok account with a different username and email. Do not link it to your main account in any way. Once set up, you can use the alt account to privately follow and interact with any public TikTok account without it being linked back to your real identity.
The downside is needing to switch between two accounts. But for those wanting to anonymously keep tabs on certain users, alt accounts provide a simple workaround to maintain privacy.
TikTok Follower Tracking Apps
While some third-party apps claim to let you see exactly who follows or unfollows you on TikTok, it’s best to avoid these. Apps that offer TikTok follower tracking or analytics often request access to your account and data in concerning ways.
Giving any third-party app access to your TikTok account comes with significant privacy and security risks. These apps may collect, use or share your private data without your knowledge or consent. There have been multiple reports of follower tracking apps leaking users’ sensitive information or exposing accounts to hacking.
Experts warn to never give your TikTok login credentials to a third-party app. The privacy risks outweigh any perceived benefit of tracking your followers. TikTok’s own analytics provide insight into your followers and engagement without compromising your account security.
For the strongest account security and online privacy, it’s wisest to avoid TikTok follower trackers and similar analytics services. While you may be curious who specifically follows you, protecting your data should be the top priority.
Closing Summary
In summary, your list of followers on TikTok is private by default, so only you can see who follows you. There is an option to make your follower list public, but that comes with limitations. On the flip side, the list of accounts you follow is always private and cannot be viewed by others.
While you can see who any public account follows with some limitations, that information is hidden for private accounts like yours. The only way for others to secretly see who you follow is by using an alt account or third-party follower tracking apps, which have privacy concerns.
Understanding these TikTok privacy settings around followers is important for controlling your exposure. TikTok offers tools to customize your preferences, but also be careful about anonymously following private accounts without consent.
By being aware of how follower lists work, you can maintain your desired privacy as both a TikTok creator and viewer.
