TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps, with over 1 billion monthly active users. The app allows users to watch, create and share short videos that are typically 15 seconds to 1 minute long. One of the best things about TikTok is its seemingly endless stream of videos that you can browse and watch for hours on end.
If you’re new to TikTok and wondering how you can browse and discover new videos and creators to follow, this guide will walk you through the various ways you can explore the app and customize your feed.
The For You Page
The main way most TikTok users browse and discover new videos is through the For You page, which serves as your home feed. The For You page shows a constantly updating stream of videos that are recommended based on your interactions within the app. So the more videos you like, share, comment on and engage with, the better TikTok gets at showing you content that matches your interests and taste.
When you first open TikTok, you will automatically be taken to your For You feed. Simply swipe up to scroll through videos. The For You page is infinite – you can keep swiping for new content endlessly. TikTok’s recommendation algorithm will detect what types of videos you favor and show you more of that in your feed.
A key tip is that you don’t necessarily have to Follow creators in order to see their videos. TikTok’s algorithm is good at serving up new and relevant content whether you explicitly follow those accounts or not. So feel free to be generous with your Likes, which will further improve your recommendations.
The Following Feed
In addition to the For You page, you can also view a Following feed in TikTok, which exclusively shows you new videos from creators and accounts you Follow. This is a great way to make sure you don’t miss any new content from your favorite TikTokers.
To access your Following feed, simply tap on the icon that has two people silhouettes on the bottom navigation bar. This will take you to a feed of the latest videos from accounts you already Follow.
Sounds
One of the most popular features of TikTok are the viral “sounds” and audio clips that creators use in their videos. Oftentimes a particular sound becomes a trending meme or challenge. TikTok makes it easy to browse through trending sounds.
Tap on the Discover icon on the bottom nav bar, then select Sounds at the top. Here you’ll find trending sounds as well as the ability to browse sounds by category like Latest, Trending, Funny, Pop, Hip Hop and more.
Tapping on a particular sound will show you a feed of the trending videos using that sound. This allows you to quickly see the viral videos and challenges associated with that specific audio clip or song.
Hashtags
Another great way to dive deep into a particular topic or community on TikTok is to search via hashtags. Pretty much every video on TikTok uses relevant hashtags in their caption.
To browse videos by hashtag, just tap on the Discover icon and select Hashtags at the top. You can then search for any hashtag term, like #cooking or #dance. The page for that hashtag will show you top videos using the tag, as well as related trending hashtags.
Searching by hashtag allows you to easily find like-minded communities around hobbies, interests and topics. It’s a rabbit hole of endless content connected by the hashtag.
Effects
TikTok has tons of fun AR effects and filters that creators use in their videos. You can easily find videos that utilize a particular effect by browsing Effects.
Tap the Discover icon, choose Effects, then scroll through or search for the effect you want. Selecting a specific effect shows you a feed of top videos using that effect.
This is a great way to find the latest viral meme effects and filters used in challenges and trends. You’ll get to see the creative ways different creators utilize the same effect.
Following and Favoriting Creators
As you come across creators whose content you enjoy, make sure to Follow them and Favorite their videos. Following a creator will make sure you see more of their newly uploaded content. And Favoriting a video saves it to a private playlist for you to easily find later.
Don’t be shy to liberally Follow and Favorite creators and videos. This better trains the recommendation algorithm to serve you more content tailored to your taste.
You can view your Followed creators by tapping the Following icon on the bottom navigation bar. And your Favorited video playlist is under the Profile icon.
Searching Keywords, Tags and Sounds
You can directly search for specific content on TikTok using the magnifying glass icon on the bottom nav bar. Tap into the search field and type in relevant keywords, tags, sounds, usernames or hashtags. This will bring up TikTok results matching your query.
For example, search for a hashtag like #cookingtips or a sound like “Jingle Bells” to quickly find associated videos. You can get really specific with keywords like “funny cat videos” or broader with tags like #dance.
Keyword searching is a straightforward way to directly pull up videos around a particular topic that interests you.
Profile and Bio Bios
If you find a video you really like, tap into the creator’s profile to learn more about them. Their bio often contains useful tags and keywords about the type of content they post.
Following creators with relevant bios lets their keywords impact your recommendations. And don’t forget to watch more of their content directly on their profile page if you want to see more of them.
Duets and Stitches
Duets and Stitches on TikTok allow creators to riff off and collaborate around trends and memes. It’s common practice on the platform.
When you tap on a video, tap the Share button in the bottom right corner. Select “Duet” if you want to record a video side-by-side. Select “Stitch” if you want to clip a portion of that video into your own.
Duets and Stitches make it easy for creators to put their own spin on popular trends. So if you like a particular meme or challenge video, browsing Duets and Stitches can lead you to more great related content.
LIkes, Comments, Shares
Engage with videos by Liking, Commenting and Sharing them. Videos that are going viral will have high view counts and lots of comments. A trending sound will be used in numerous videos.
Pay attention to the engagement metrics on videos to discover rising trends and currently hot content. Videos with the most Likes and Comments are the ones gaining popularity and traction. Also share videos out to spread ones you enjoy.
Trending and Topics
The Trending section highlights the top viral videos and memes blowing up right now on TikTok. Go to Discover > Trending to see the hottest videos. Tap into trending hashtag challenges, effects and sounds to join in.
And the Topics section categorizes trending content by broader interest areas like DIY, Cooking, Beauty, Sports, Music and more. It’s great for browsing popular videos around hobbies and passions.
Jumping into Trending and Topics gets you immersed in the current viral content across TikTok.
TikTok Recommendations
Be sure to regularly check your notifications and feed recommendations on TikTok. The app will suggest new users to follow, videos to watch, trends to try and more based on your existing interactions.
TikTok wants to keep you engaged so you get a personalized recommendations for accounts, sounds, hashtags and features tailored just for you. These suggestions can expose you to new areas of content and creators you’ll like.
Pay attention to pop-up prompts recommending you content as those signal rising trends and videos relevant to your taste.
Set Watch Preferences
You can further customize and train TikTok’s recommendations for your feed in the app settings. Go to your Profile > Settings > Watch Preferences.
Here you can indicate topics, sounds and effects you’re interested in watching more of like Comedy, Beauty & Style, Abstract, Anime and Gaming. Adjusting these settings helps steer your For You feed.
Discover People
The Discover People section in settings lets you browse recommended accounts to follow based on your interests, current follows, locations, keywords and more. It’s a quick way to connect with creators making content around topics you like.
Spend some time browsing Discover People and Following new accounts relevant to your hobbies, passions and tastes. This will improve your recommendations.
Live Streams
Many popular creators do live broadcasts where they engage with followers in real time. Watching Live Streams allows you to interact directly with creators through commenting and gifting.
The LIVE indicator tab on the Discover page aggregates popular ongoing live streams. Tap into live broadcasts from creators you follow and topics you like. Engage with them and the hosts may give you a shoutout!
Browsing on Desktop
You’re not limited to the mobile app. You can browse TikTok videos on the desktop website as well by going to TikTok.com and logging in with your account.
The desktop experience features the same For You, Following, LIVE and Search functions. But the bigger screen allows for an immersive, lean back experience. You have more scrollable room to browse videos.
Try hooking up your laptop to a TV and browsing videos on the biggest screen possible. Desktop browsing enables new ways to enjoy endless TikTok content.
Make Your Own Videos
The best way to understand how creators make great TikToks is to start making your own! Open the camera in the app and start recording. Familiarize yourself with effects, sounds, captions, stitching, filters and more.
Post some videos around your interests and see what sticks. Making your own content will give you appreciation for the work creators do. And you’ll start to learn firsthand what resonates with audiences based on engagement and views.
TikTok isn’t just for passive viewing. Content creators want to see you join in on the fun!
In Summary
TikTok opens up a world of short form video entertainment tailored to your tastes. Take advantage of trending content, hashtags, effects, sounds and creative people to browse a never-ending stream of engaging videos.
Follow creators that inspire you, engage with content you love, search for topics and communities you care about, and join in on viral trends and memes. The TikTok algorithm will quickly learn to serve you relevant content the more you interact.
Immerse yourself in TikTok’s lively community of creators and become part of meme culture. Before you know it, you’ll be hooked for hours browsing through your endless For You feed. Enjoy trends, challenges, dances, comedy skits, life hacks and more – make TikTok your go-to source of bite-sized entertainment.
