TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps, with over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide as of late 2022 [1]. The app allows users to create and share short videos, and has become known for its huge community of content creators.
However, with its massive userbase, many people wonder if it’s possible to find someone on TikTok using just their phone number. While the app doesn’t have a built-in search feature for phone numbers, there are some methods people attempt in order to locate someone’s account. This article will provide an overview of the question around finding a TikTok user by phone number alone, and explore some of the potential options.
Privacy Settings on TikTok
TikTok’s default privacy settings are focused on protecting user privacy, especially for younger users. According to TikTok’s Help Center, accounts for users under 18 are set to private by default (source). This means only people approved by the user can follow them, view their videos and like their content.
For adult users, TikTok also has strict privacy defaults. Phone numbers, email addresses and other contact information are not visible to other users. Contact information like phone numbers can only be shared if the user proactively adds it to their TikTok profile biography or posts it in a video. But it is not public by default.
Searching TikTok
TikTok has a robust search function that allows you to search for videos, sounds, hashtags, and people using keywords or usernames. However, there is no direct way to search TikTok by phone number.
When searching for a user on TikTok, you can type their username into the search bar at the top of the app or website. TikTok will show results for accounts with matching usernames. You can also search by name, but this is less precise as multiple users may have the same name.
While TikTok’s search capabilities are extensive, phone numbers cannot be used as search terms. There is no search field or filter that allows looking up users by their phone number or contacts.
In summary, TikTok’s powerful search function allows discovering videos and users in many ways, but does not support searching by phone number directly.
Contact Info in Profile
While TikTok allows users to add contact information like phone numbers to their profiles, this is completely optional and not very common (The Social Shepherd). According to recent statistics, only around 5-10% of TikTok users worldwide have their phone number listed on their profile. This percentage is even lower in some countries like the United States, where less than 5% of users make their phone numbers public (Wallaroo Media).
So while it’s possible to find someone’s phone number if they voluntarily add it to their TikTok profile, this is relatively rare. Most users opt to keep their contact information private for safety and privacy reasons. Overall the chances of finding a random person’s phone number directly on their TikTok profile are very low.
Contacting TikTok Support
TikTok has strong privacy protections in place and does not provide user contact information like phone numbers to other users. According to TikTok’s Privacy Policy, “We do not sell personal information, including your mobile phone number, to anyone.” If you try to contact TikTok Support and request another user’s phone number or other contact information, they will not provide it.
TikTok Support can only assist with issues related to your own account. They do not give out other users’ private information. Attempting to obtain someone’s phone number or other contact info from TikTok Support would be a violation of that user’s privacy according to TikTok’s policies. So contacting TikTok Support will not enable you to find someone’s phone number on the platform if they have not made it publicly available themselves.
Finding Number Through Username
If you know a TikTok user’s username, you may be able to find their phone number if it is associated with their account on other platforms online. Many people use the same username across multiple sites like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc. If the user has connected their phone number to any of those profiles, you could potentially discover it through a reverse phone lookup service.
For example, if you look up the TikTok username on NumLookup, it may show results linking that username to a phone number on another site like Facebook. NumLookup aggregates public data from various sources online to find connections between usernames, emails, addresses and phone numbers.
However, this method is not guaranteed to work since the user may not have their number publicly listed anywhere associated with their username. It depends on how much information the person has shared publicly online tied to their username. But it can be one approach to try discovering a TikTok user’s phone number if you have their username.
Guessing the Username
Guessing someone’s username on TikTok without additional information would be very difficult. Usernames are unique on the platform, so there can’t be any duplicates. With over 1 billion monthly active users, the number of possible username combinations is enormous. According to a 2021 study, around one-third of Americans have attempted to guess someone else’s password, but only one-quarter succeeded. Source. Guessing a unique TikTok username with no context would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Some tips make guessing slightly more feasible, like using a username the person uses elsewhere or incorporating their real name. However, without any personal details about the individual, randomly guessing their TikTok handle would be futile in most cases.
Other Discovery Methods
While searching directly on TikTok or guessing usernames has some success, journalists have other tactics for uncovering a phone number associated with a TikTok account. One approach is social engineering, where the journalist may reach out to contacts of the person or their inner circle and, without outright asking for the number, gather clues that help piece it together. Journalists can also look for contacts the TikTok user has in common with them or mutual connections on other social networks who may be able to provide information.
Some journalists attempt to draw the user into responding through engagement on their content in hopes of establishing direct contact. Building a rapport in this way may lead to exchanging contact information. However, directly asking others for private information raises ethics concerns. Journalists aiming to contact a TikTok user should first make reasonable attempts through official channels.
Other more controversial techniques like phone number databases and reverse phone lookups may yield a number, but come with accuracy and privacy issues. Journalists should carefully validate any number found through these discovery methods before attempting contact. In the end, while crafty social engineering or backchannel searches may surface a possible number, due diligence is required to confirm the accuracy and seek consent where appropriate.
TikTok Policies
TikTok has strict policies prohibiting harassment, bullying, and doxxing on their platform. Their Community Guidelines state that “We do not tolerate behavior that harasses, intimidates, or uses fear to silence another person’s voice.”
Specifically, their rules prohibit:
- Threats of physical harm, theft, vandalism or financial harm.
- Spam, deceptive links, and compromised accounts.
- Bullying and harassment.
- Doxxing and unwanted exposure.
- Impersonation.
TikTok makes it clear that accounts violating these rules may be permanently banned. Their goal is to foster an environment for genuine interactions and self-expression while protecting user safety.
Conclusion
Overall, there is no guaranteed or straightforward way to find someone on TikTok using only a phone number. TikTok profiles are configured to be identity-focused rather than contact-focused. Basic search tools do not allow querying by phone number or other contact details for very strong privacy reasons. At best, some guessing could be done to find associated usernames, but this is unreliable and frequently unsuccessful. Ultimately, it is incredibly challenging to find someone on TikTok using just a phone number without additional profile details.
It’s also important to have the right motivations if attempting to find someone online. Doxxing, stalking, harassment, and invasion of privacy are unethical practices that should be avoided. The desire to connect with someone must be balanced with respect for their privacy and safety. Tread carefully, act responsibly, and be mindful of your intentions when attempting to look up someone’s identity online.
