TikTok has exploded in popularity over the past few years. The addictive short-form video app had over 1 billion monthly active users in 2021 according to TheSocialShepherd. With so many people using TikTok every day, it’s important to understand how visible the content you post is to others.
TikTok Privacy Settings
TikTok allows users to control their privacy settings and determine who can view their content. Users can choose between having a public or private account. With a public account, anyone can view your profile and videos. With a private account, only approved followers can see your content (Account privacy settings).
To make an account private, go to Settings > Privacy and toggle on “Private Account.” Users can also control settings for duets, reactions, comments, live streams, messages, and more. For example, you can limit duets to only people you follow or turn off the ability for others to duet your videos completely (Choosing between a private or public account). Understanding TikTok’s privacy controls allows users to share content safely and selectively.
Private Accounts
A private account on TikTok means only people you approve can see your videos and follow you. When your account is set to private, your profile information and videos will not be visible to the general public on TikTok (source: https://www.tiktok.com/signup/private-on).
To make an account private, go to your profile page and tap the three dot menu icon. Then select “Privacy and Safety” and toggle “Private Account” on. This means you have full control over who can view your content. Users will have to send you a follow request, which you can choose to accept or deny. Your existing followers will remain followers even if you switch to a private account (source: https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/account-privacy-settings/making-your-account-public-or-private).
So in summary, a private TikTok account gives you greater control over who can see your profile and videos. Only approved followers have access to your content.
Duets
Duets allow you to create a video side-by-side with another user’s video. To duet a video, tap the “Share” icon on a video and select “Duet.” You’ll then be able to record your video alongside the original video.
You can control who can duet your videos through your privacy settings. Go to your profile, tap the three dots icon, select “Privacy,” then tap “Duet.” You can choose to allow duets from “Everyone,” “Friends,” or “Off.” Setting duets to “Off” will prevent other users from dueting your videos.
According to TikTok’s help center, “Only users whose videos you’ve Duetted with can see that you’ve Duetted their video unless your account is set to public.” So your duets will only be visible to users you’ve interacted with through duets unless your whole account is public (source).
It’s important to be mindful of privacy settings before duetting other users’ content. You can restrict your audience for duets as needed in your app settings.
Reacts
Reacts on TikTok allow users to engage with videos by tapping on various emojis that pop up on screen while watching. Reacting does not notify the original video creator, but it does share some information with them.
The account name and profile photo of anyone who reacts to a video will be visible to the video’s creator (Source: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/duets-and-reactions-on-tiktok-safety-tips). However, the specific emoji reaction itself will not be shown. For example, if User A reacts to a video from User B with the laughing emoji, User B will see that User A reacted, but not which specific emoji was used.
Reacts are considered a form of engagement on TikTok. While they don’t notify creators directly or reveal the specific emoji, they do provide creators with information about who is engaging with their content.
Comments
TikTok gives users a lot of control over who can comment on their videos. In your settings, you can choose to allow comments from everyone, friends only, or turn off comments completely. You can also filter specific keywords from comments to limit offensive or inappropriate comments.
To manage your comment settings, tap the profile icon in the bottom right and go to “Privacy and Settings”, then “Privacy and Safety”, then “Filter Comments”. Here you can turn comment filters on or off as well as block specific keywords.
TikTok also has an auto-moderation system that will automatically filter out comments likely to be spam or offensive without needing to be manually reported. This helps keep inappropriate comments from being widely seen (source).
Overall, TikTok provides users with robust controls to manage who can comment on their content. By default, comments are public, but creators have options to limit comments to vetted followers if they choose.
Livestreams
When you go live on TikTok, your livestream is public by default, meaning anyone on TikTok can view it LIVE Safety | Creator Portal. However, you can choose to limit your audience in the settings before starting the livestream:
- Public – Anyone can view your livestream.
- Friends – Only your friends can view your livestream.
- Followers – Only your followers can view your livestream.
TikTok also has restrictions on livestreams for younger users. If you are under 16, you can only host livestreams for Followers. If you are aged 16-17, you can host public livestreams but they will have limited distribution and will not be recommended to users under 16 Age-restricted content on TikTok LIVE.
So in summary, the audience for your livestream depends on your age and privacy settings, but by default livestreams are public for anyone on TikTok to view.
Messages
Messages or direct messages (DMs) on TikTok allow users to privately communicate with each other. By default, anyone can message you on TikTok even if you don’t follow them back.
To control who can message you, go to your profile and tap the three dots in the top right corner. Then tap “Privacy and safety” and select “Who can send you messages.” You can choose from the following options:
- No One: No users can send you direct messages.
- People You Follow: Only users you follow back can message you.
- Everyone: All TikTok users can send you direct messages.
Selecting “No One” or “People You Follow” gives you more control over who can reach you privately on TikTok. However, even if you limit messages, any conversations you’ve already had with a user will still be accessible in your inbox unless you block that person.
TikTok also allows sending disappearing messages, though recipients can screenshot them before they vanish if enabled in settings. Overall, TikTok’s messaging privacy options let users decide who can directly contact them (TikTok Help Center).
Downloads
When you post a video on TikTok, other users have the ability to download your video unless you disable this feature. By default, the “Save video” option is enabled for all videos, allowing anyone to download your content. However, as the video owner, you can disable downloading in your app settings. To prevent downloads:
1. Go to your profile page and tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
2. Select “Privacy and safety” and toggle off “Allow downloads.”
This will remove the download option from your videos, preventing other users from saving copies to their device (according to TikTok’s help guide). However, determined users may still find ways to record or capture your content through screenshots or other apps. So disabling downloads provides an extra layer of control, but does not guarantee full protection.
In summary, TikTok enables downloading by default, but creators can disable this option in their privacy settings. Turning off downloads removes the built-in “Save video” button, adding a barrier for users who want to access your content outside of TikTok. But it’s still possible for others to record or copy your videos if they try hard enough.
Conclusion
On TikTok, your privacy settings determine who can see the content you post. Setting your account to private limits your videos to just your followers. Duets and reactions made by others can be seen by anyone who views the original video. Comments are visible to all unless you limit them to just friends or turn them off. Livestreams are public by default unless you toggle your settings. Messages are private between users. Downloading videos from TikTok gives other users access to that content offline.
In summary, carefully considering your privacy settings and reviewing them often is crucial if you want to control who views the content you share on TikTok. Understanding how the platform handles privacy allows you to share as openly or as selectively as you prefer.
