On TikTok, a username is the unique handle that identifies someone’s account. Usernames are important because they allow other users to search for and find specific accounts on TikTok. There are a few main reasons why someone might want to find a TikTok account by username:
To view someone’s content: If you know a friend, celebrity, influencer, or creator’s username, searching for their handle is the easiest way to access their profile and view their videos.
To follow or interact with someone: Finding an account by username allows you to follow them in order to see their content in your feed, comment on their videos, send messages, etc.
Brand monitoring: Brands may want to find and monitor accounts using their name or related keywords to watch for trends, influencer partnerships, or customer feedback.
Research purposes: Journalists, social media analysts, market researchers, etc. may look up accounts by username to gather intel for reports.
Search Bar
The search bar is the primary method for finding specific TikTok accounts by username on the platform. To use the search bar to find a user, simply open the TikTok app and tap on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up the search bar. Type in the exact username of the account you are looking for. As you begin typing, TikTok’s search auto-complete will offer suggestions of accounts that match. Tap the one you want or type out the full username and hit search.
For example, searching for “@charlidamelio” will bring up Charli D’Amelio’s official account. You can also search partial usernames like “charli” but you may get multiple results. Using the exact, full username like “@john” is the best way to pull up a specific account.
The search bar allows finding accounts without needing to login or have an account yourself. It’s the simplest way to directly look up any user by their unique handle.
Profile Links
One way to find a TikTok account is by clicking on profile links that are included in bios or posts. Other users may share a link to their TikTok profile or the profile of someone they mention. You can click these links to be taken directly to those TikTok accounts.
For example, if a TikTok bio says “Check out my cooking videos here: https://www.tiktok.com/@chef123”, you could click on that link to go straight to the @chef123 profile. Or if someone is mentioned in a comment with their profile link like “@dancers456 profile: https://www.tiktok.com/@dancers456”, you could click that link to access the @dancers456 account.
So whenever you see a TikTok profile link shared on the platform, either in a profile bio, comment, caption, or elsewhere, clicking on that link will take you right to that user’s account page.
Suggested Accounts
TikTok suggests accounts for you to follow based on factors like your location, interests, and the accounts you already follow. The “Suggested Accounts” section can be found on the Discover page and your profile page.
On the Discover page, scroll down until you see the section titled “Suggested Accounts.” Here you will find a list of popular accounts that TikTok recommends you follow based on your activity. The accounts shown will be a mix of top creators in various categories like comedy, dance, food, animals, and more.
You can also find suggested accounts on your profile page. Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right, then tap on the three line menu icon in the top right. Choose “Suggested accounts” from the menu. This section will show accounts of people TikTok thinks you may know, like friends of friends. TikTok determines suggestions based on factors like shared contacts, mutual followers, location, and interests.
Looking through the suggested accounts is a quick way to discover new accounts to follow that are likely to post content you’ll enjoy. It can help you expand who you follow on TikTok beyond just the top celebrities and trending creators.
Following List
You can find accounts a user follows in their following list. To access this, go to the profile of the user and click on Following under their profile picture and bio. This will open up their following list, showing all the accounts they currently follow.
Once in the following list, you can search for a specific username. Type the username into the search bar at the top of the screen and it will filter down the list to accounts with that username. This lets you quickly check if a user follows a specific account or not. Just be aware that if the account you’re searching for has a private profile, you won’t be able to see them in the following list unless you also follow them.
Hashtags
Searching hashtags on TikTok can be an effective way to find accounts that frequently use those hashtags. When you search for a hashtag, TikTok will show you a feed of videos using that hashtag. You can then click on any of the videos or accounts that appear to be directed to that user’s profile.
To search hashtags on TikTok:
- Tap the discover icon on the bottom toolbar
- Tap the search bar at the top
- Type in the hashtag you want to search for, like #cooking or #dance. The more niche the hashtag, the higher chance you can find a specific account.
For example, searching for #bakingbread may surface accounts dedicated to baking that use that hashtag regularly. You can also try searching broad categories like #food or #travel if you don’t know more specific hashtags the account may use.
Discover Page
The Discover page on TikTok is designed to help you find new accounts and content based on your interests. It provides a stream of recommended videos, hashtags, and accounts that TikTok thinks you may like.
To access the Discover page on mobile:
- Open the TikTok app
- Tap the search icon at the bottom
- Tap “Discover” at the top
As you scroll through the Discover page, you’ll notice account recommendations in between the videos. Tapping on one of the recommended accounts will take you to that user’s profile so you can follow them if desired. The algorithm analyzes your activity to serve accounts it predicts you’ll enjoy.
You can also tap “Accounts” near the top of the screen to browse categories like Comedy, Beauty, Sports, Music, etc. This is another great way to find accounts tailored to your interests.
Find by Contacts
You can find TikTok accounts belonging to people in your phone’s contact list or Facebook friends list. Here’s how to connect your contacts on TikTok:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile icon in the bottom right.
2. Tap the Add Friends button.
3. Next to Contacts, tap Find.
4. Allow TikTok permission to access your contacts.
5. TikTok will display any contacts or Facebook friends that have TikTok accounts. You can then follow them directly from this screen.
Connecting your contacts allows an easy way to find people you know on TikTok without needing to search for them. However, contacts will only show up here if they also have the TikTok app installed and have allowed contact syncing in their settings.
Source: TikTok Help Center
Google Search
You can search for a specific TikTok username on Google to find the associated account. To do this:
- Go to Google.com and type the following (replacing “username” with the actual username you want to find):
- Hit enter and Google will search TikTok profiles for that username.
- Click on the result to open the TikTok profile in Google.
- You can click “Visit site” on the profile to go directly to the TikTok account.
site:tiktok.com “@username”
Searching on Google allows you to find a TikTok profile by username, even if you don’t have the TikTok app installed. This method is useful if you only have a username and want to view someone’s profile and videos.
Account Not Found?
If you search for a username and get a “Account Not Found” message, there are a few possible reasons:
The account may have been deleted or banned. According to Tardigrada (source), the “Account Not Found” message means the account is no longer visible on TikTok.
The account may have changed their username. Try searching for the account’s display name or looking through your own following/follower list if you previously followed them.
The account may have blocked you or gone private. You won’t be able to view a private account unless you are approved as a follower.
If you are certain the account exists and think it should be visible to you, try the following troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you are spelling the username correctly.
- Try searching on a desktop browser as well as the mobile app.
- Log out and back into your TikTok account in case there is a glitch.
- Ask a friend to search for the username and confirm if they can see the account.
If you still get the “Account Not Found” message after troubleshooting, the account may no longer be active on TikTok.
