TikTok is a popular short-form video app that has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide. On TikTok, users can upload and share short videos ranging from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Under each video, there is a comments section where viewers can leave feedback and interact with the content creator and other viewers. TikTok videos receive millions of comments, with popular videos getting tens of thousands of comments.
The comments section is an important part of the TikTok experience, allowing for community engagement and feedback. However, with so many comments on popular videos, the comments can become disorganized and hard to navigate. This has led many users to wonder if there is a way to sort or filter TikTok comments.
Viewing Comments on TikTok
Viewing comments on a TikTok video is easy to do directly within the app. When watching a video, simply tap on the comments icon at the bottom of the screen to bring up the comments. This will show all the comments that have been left on that video.
You can scroll through the comments to read them. To view more comments, keep scrolling down and TikTok will automatically load more. You can also tap on a specific comment to focus on that comment thread.
If you want to only see comments from people you follow, tap on the filter icon at the top and select “Following”. This will filter the comments to just show those from accounts you currently follow.
You can also like, reply to, and share comments you see. Replying will start a thread under that comment. Overall, TikTok makes it simple to view all the comments on videos right within the app.
Filtering Comments
TikTok offers some filtering options to help control the types of comments that are visible on your videos. By enabling comment filtering, certain keywords can automatically be filtered out.
According to TikTok’s help page, filtering comments removes spam and offensive language. When enabled, comments containing inappropriate or abusive language will not be shown and will not notify the user. This can help limit harassment and keep conversations productive.
Filtering can be enabled in the app by going to Settings > Privacy > Filter Comments. Here, users can toggle filtering on or off and manage their keyword filters. The filter will scan comments for the exact keywords or phrases specified.
While filtering comments is not a perfect solution, as creative users may find ways around blocked terms, it does provide some control over the tone and quality of conversations happening on your videos. Moderating a popular TikTok account can be overwhelming, so using comment filters is one tool to assist with the process.
Sorting Comments
TikTok does not currently have a built-in feature to sort comments within the app. This means users cannot rearrange or filter comments based on criteria like most likes, most recent, or chronological order. The comments on each video will appear in the default order determined by TikTok’s algorithm.
According to Remodel or Move, TikTok designed their comment feed this way intentionally, to highlight the most relevant and engaging comments for each user. The order is personalized based on factors like a user’s interactions, relationships with other commenters, interests, and more. So the top comments you see may differ from what other viewers see.
While this algorithmic ranking allows TikTok to surface the most popular comments, it means users have no way to manually sort or filter comments within the app. This has led some users to request native sorting and filtering options from TikTok.
Why TikTok Doesn’t Allow Comment Sorting
Unlike platforms like YouTube and Reddit which allow users to sort comments chronologically or by engagement, TikTok currently does not have any built-in options to sort comments. This design choice likely stems from TikTok’s priorities as a platform.
As a short-form video app aimed at entertainment, TikTok is designed for easily scrolling through videos vertically and interacting via likes, comments, shares, etc. Allowing users to sort comments may disrupt this primary user experience. TikTok seems to prioritize an unfiltered, real-time flow of reactions rather than enabling users to organize or filter comments after the fact.
Additionally, TikTok may limit comment sorting to give all users an equal chance to gain engagement on their comments. Default comment ranking helps newer comments get visibility rather than only showing the most-liked comments first. This creates a level playing field and makes the comment section feel dynamic.
While TikTok has not explicitly explained why comment sorting isn’t allowed, these factors related to their platform design and goals seem to be the driving reasons. Implementing comment sorting would require significant changes that don’t align with TikTok’s core user experience.
Sorting Comments with Third-Party Tools
Since TikTok doesn’t have a built-in option to sort comments, some third-party developers have created tools and browser extensions to enable sorting TikTok comments by likes or recency. These can provide an easier way to view the most popular or newest comments on a TikTok video.
One popular extension is TikTok Sorted Comments By Likes for Chrome. After installing, it automatically sorts a TikTok video’s comments by number of likes. This makes it easy to see the most popular comments at the top. The extension works on both desktop and mobile.
Some Reddit users also recommend using the Better Comments for YouTube browser extension. Although designed for YouTube, it reportedly also works to sort comments on TikTok videos by likes, newest, and other filters. So this can be an option for other browsers like Firefox.
While third-party tools don’t provide an official solution, they do offer TikTok users a way to view comments sorted by engagement or recency. The options are limited compared to built-in features, but they provide helpful functionality not natively available.
Best Practices for Commenting
Leaving meaningful comments that generate engagement on TikTok requires thoughtfulness and creativity. Here are some best practices:
Ask questions related to the content to spark discussion. For example: “What’s your favorite part of this video?” or “Have you tried this before?” Open-ended questions invite others to share their perspectives.
Compliment the creator in a genuine, specific way. Comments like “Amazing job!” and “So cool!” are nice but impersonal. Try commenting on details you appreciate.
Make connections between the content and your own experiences. Share a short anecdote or memory you have that relates to the video.
Contribute your expertise if you have specialized knowledge about the topic. Provide added context, facts, or tips in your comments.
Use humor thoughtfully. Inside jokes and running gags within a creator’s community can be fun. But avoid sarcasm or mocking tones.
Keep engaging over time. Don’t just comment once. Regularly contribute to the creator’s new content to build community.
Stay positive. Even if you dislike something, constructive feedback is more valuable than insults.
Comment wisely and ethically. Do not spread misinformation, harass others, or say anything you wouldn’t say in person.
Moderating Comments
Moderating comments is an important part of managing your TikTok presence. As a creator, you want to foster a positive environment in your comment section. There are several ways to monitor and moderate comments on TikTok:
Use TikTok’s native moderation tools – TikTok allows you to turn on comment filtering to hide comments containing certain keywords. You can also block users and delete individual comments as needed. According to NapoleonCat, TikTok recently introduced the ability to moderate comments directly in the app through notifications.
Use third-party moderation tools – Services like Hootsuite allow you to manage TikTok comments from a dashboard. This gives you more robust filtering and moderation capabilities.
Appoint moderators – For larger accounts, it can help to have moderators assisting with comment moderation. They can focus on deleting inappropriate comments, blocking abusive users, and pinning helpful comments.
Respond to comments – By replying to comments regularly, you can steer the conversation in a positive direction. This also creates more engagement.
Disable commenting – In extreme cases of abuse/harassment, disabling comments may be necessary for a period of time.
Overall, actively moderating your comment section helps ensure it remains a constructive place for discussion with your audience.
TikTok’s Comment Moderation Policies
TikTok has extensive policies and systems in place to moderate comments across the platform. The TikTok Community Guidelines outline what content is prohibited in comments.
Comments containing hate speech, bullying, harassment, spam, misinformation, illegal activities, or violent threats are not allowed on TikTok. The platform uses a combination of human moderators and AI technology to detect and remove comments violating these policies.
Users can also report inappropriate comments directly to TikTok through the app. TikTok reviews all reported content and will remove anything that breaks their rules. Accounts repeatedly posting rule-breaking comments may be suspended.
TikTok aims to cultivate an inclusive environment and meaningful discussions in comments. Their moderation policies are intended to prevent harassment and abuse on the platform.
Conclusion
In summary, TikTok does not have a built-in way to sort comments on videos at this time. The platform’s comment section is displayed with the newest comments first by default. While TikTok does not allow users to change the comment order themselves, third-party tools exist that can scrape TikTok comments and display them sorted chronologically or by popularity. These tools provide an alternative option for those who want more control over how they view comments.
When posting and engaging with comments, it’s best to keep TikTok’s community guidelines in mind. The platform uses a combination of human moderators and AI to detect harassment, spam, and other policy violations. While commenting is a big part of the TikTok experience, maintaining a respectful environment for all users takes priority.
In the future, TikTok may add more native controls for viewing, filtering, and managing comments. For now, the platform’s focus remains on fostering a diverse, authentic, and engaging space for its community members to connect through short videos. The commenting experience balances openness with the goal of limiting harmful interactions.
