This article will explain how to prevent your TikTok contacts from finding your account on the platform. Hiding your profile from people you know can be useful for maintaining privacy or creating a separate account just for fun. The goal is to stop TikTok from suggesting your account to contacts who also use the app, so they won’t stumble upon videos you’ve posted.
Understanding TikTok’s Suggested Users
TikTok has received scrutiny for how it suggests users you may know or want to follow, even if you haven’t given the app permission to access your contacts. According to this article, TikTok is able to suggest people you may know by collecting information from sources beyond just your contact list. The app can gather data based on your online activity, mutual connections on TikTok, and other identifying information that gets shared when you use TikTok or other apps.
Even if you haven’t given TikTok access to your contacts, the app is still able to figure out who you may know based on complex algorithms and data collection practices. TikTok can see public information on other users’ profiles and make suggestions based on location data, online activity patterns, and social graph connections. While this raises privacy concerns, it helps explain how TikTok is able to recommend accounts to follow without explicit approval to access your contacts.
Prevent TikTok from Accessing Contacts
One of the easiest ways for TikTok to suggest your contacts as potential friends is by accessing your phone’s contacts list. When you first create a TikTok account, the app asks for permission to access your contacts. If you allowed it at the time, you can revoke this permission to prevent TikTok from matching your contacts to other users.
Here’s how to revoke TikTok’s access to your contacts on an iPhone or Android phone:
iPhone:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Tap Privacy, then Contacts.
- Find TikTok and toggle off the switch next to it.
Android:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Tap Apps or Application Manager.
- Tap TikTok.
- Tap Permissions.
- Turn off Contacts permission.
By revoking access to contacts, TikTok will no longer be able to match your phone contacts to TikTok profiles. This makes it much less likely your contacts will be suggested to you as potential friends to follow (source).
Using a Separate ‘Finsta’ Account
A “finsta” is a separate, private Instagram account that allows users to share more personal content with a limited group of close friends or contacts. Finsta is short for “fake Instagram” or “private Instagram.”
Having a separate finsta account unrelated to your main TikTok account can prevent existing contacts from being able to find or follow you on TikTok. Since finsta accounts are designed to have tighter privacy settings and are only shared selectively, your contacts would be unlikely to discover your finsta-linked TikTok profile.
When setting up a finsta account, be sure to use a username that is completely different from your main accounts and does not contain any identifying information about yourself. Do not connect the account to your existing social media profiles or phone contacts. Limit followers to only your closest friends that you explicitly approve. Keep the account and content private and anonymous for maximum privacy.
Sources:
https://www.vogue.in/wellness/content/fake-instagram-accounts-or-finstas-are-turning-into-a-safe-sanctuary
https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/family-safety/finsta-parents-know-teens-fake-instagram-accounts/
Block Contacts on TikTok
One of the easiest ways to prevent your contacts from finding you on TikTok is by blocking them. Here are step-by-step instructions for blocking contacts on TikTok so they can’t view your profile or content:
1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
2. Select “Privacy and Settings” from the menu.
3. Tap “Blocked Accounts” on the next page.
4. Tap “Block contacts” to block people from your phone’s contact list on TikTok. You can also manually search for and select contacts to block.
5. Confirm by tapping “Block” on the popup message.
Once you block a contact, they will no longer be able to find or view your TikTok profile or videos. You can unblock contacts at any time by going back to your blocked list and tapping “Unblock” next to their name. Refer to this TikTok tutorial video for a visual guide.
Blocking contacts can prevent people you know from interacting with your content against your wishes. Use this feature wisely as part of your approach to managing privacy on TikTok.
Make Your Account Private
Making your TikTok account private is one of the most effective ways to prevent your contacts from finding your videos. When your account is set to private, your profile information and videos can only be viewed by users you approve to follow you.
Here are some key benefits of making your TikTok account private:
- Your contacts won’t be able to find your videos or account unless you approve them as followers.
- TikTok won’t suggest your account to people in your contacts or social circles.
- Strangers can’t see your posts or interact with your account.
- You have full control over who can view your profile and content.
Setting your account to private only takes a few quick steps on TikTok:
- Open your TikTok app and go to your profile page.
- Tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
- Select “Privacy and safety” from the menu.
- Toggle the “Private account” setting on.
Once your account is set to private, you’ll be able to approve or deny each follow request. Make sure to only accept requests from people you know and trust. Going private gives you far more control over who interacts with your account.
Use TikTok’s Blocked Words Feature
TikTok allows users to add “blocked words” that will prevent videos with those words from showing up in search results or recommendations. This can be an effective way to prevent contacts from stumbling upon your TikTok account if they search for your name or other identifying information.
According to https://www.tiktok.com/discover/tiktok-blocked-words, when you add keywords or phrases to your blocked words list, any content with those words will not appear for other users in search, comments, captions, hashtags, or recommendations. Essentially it hides your content containing the blocked terms from being discovered.
For example, if you add your real name, school, hometown, etc. as blocked words, contacts searching those terms would not find videos or accounts associated with you. This prevents contacts from accidentally finding your “finsta” if you want to keep it private from people you know. The key is being proactive in adding common search terms that could reveal your account.
Avoid Using Your Real Name
When trying to prevent contacts from finding you on TikTok, one of the most important steps is to avoid using your real name or any part of it in your username. Here are some tips for creating an anonymous username that your contacts won’t recognize:
Use a completely random username that has no connection to your real identity. Random words or phrases work well as anonymous usernames. Just make sure it’s not already taken by another user. For example: bluerainbowcat, sunnypineapple, or dancingmuffin.
You can also try using an inside joke or favorite interest as your username. For example, if you love coffee you could be coffeelover123. Contacts likely won’t make the connection between your interest and your anonymous account.
Consider using your favorite color plus a random word or number. Purplepanda456 or Redturtle39 are examples. Avoid selecting common color and animal combinations that might be easier to tie back to you.
Look up username idea lists online or use a username generator to find unique, anonymous options. There are TikTok specific username generators that provide name suggestions fitting TikTok’s requirements.
Just be sure not to overthink it. The more random and common your anonymous name is, the less likely contacts will realize it’s you. And you can always change it later if needed.
Limit Profile Photo Visibility
One way to minimize the chances of your contacts finding you on TikTok is to limit the visibility of your profile photo. By default, your profile photo is public and can be seen by anyone, even people who don’t follow you.
To make your profile photo only visible to your followers:
- Go to your profile page
- Tap the three dot menu icon in the top right corner
- Select “Privacy and safety”
- Under “Profile image”, toggle “Who can view my profile photo” to “Followers”
This will restrict your profile photo visibility so only your approved followers can see it. Other TikTok users will just see a default silhouette icon instead of your profile photo unless they follow you.
(Choosing between a public or private account)
Conclusion
There are a few steps you can take to ensure your contacts won’t find you on TikTok. The most important thing is to make your account private so only people you approve can follow you. You should also avoid connecting your contacts list to TikTok so it can’t suggest people you may know. Using a separate “finsta” account just for some contacts is another option. Blocking specific people and using TikTok’s tools like blocked words and limiting your profile photo visibility can also help you stay hidden from contacts you don’t want finding you while still using TikTok.
The main things to remember are: make your account private, don’t connect your contacts, use a separate account if needed, block people you want to avoid, and limit the personal info TikTok can gather on you. Follow those steps and you can use TikTok while minimizing the chance you’ll be discovered by contacts you’d rather not connect with on the platform.