If you’ve come across a funny, interesting, or informative TikTok video but you don’t know the name of the user who posted it, you may want to find their profile to see more of their content. Fortunately, there are several methods you can use to track down a TikTok user even if you don’t know their username.
Use the TikTok Video URL
The easiest way to find the user who posted a TikTok video is to use the video’s unique URL. Every video on TikTok has its own URL that leads directly to that video.
To get the video URL:
- Open the TikTok video you want to find the user for.
- Copy the URL from the address bar at the top of your browser. The URL usually starts with https://www.tiktok.com/.
Once you’ve copied the URL, paste it into a new browser tab and hit enter. This will open the video by itself on TikTok.
From there, look for the profile picture and username of the user who posted the video above the video caption. You can click on the profile picture to be taken directly to that user’s TikTok profile.
Use a TikTok Video Download Site
If you don’t have access to the original TikTok video URL, another option is to use a TikTok video download site. These sites allow you to download videos from TikTok so you can save them and watch them later.
To use a download site to find a TikTok user:
- Go to a site like ssstiktok.io or snaptik.app.
- Upload or paste the URL of the TikTok video you want to identify the user for.
- The site will begin processing and downloading the video file.
- Once the download is complete, open the video file on your computer.
- The original TikTok caption, including the username, will usually be embedded in the video file.
Using one of these TikTok download sites can be helpful if all you have is a link to the video sent via text, email, or social media. Just be aware that downloading videos from TikTok may be against the platform’s terms of service.
Search by Audio
Many TikTok videos utilize the same background music, audio clips, or songs. You can try to identify the music in the video, then search for that audio on TikTok to potentially find the user.
To search by audio:
- Listen closely to the video to identify the background music or audio clip used.
- Google search some of the lyrics you hear or describe the music to try finding the song name.
- Open TikTok and tap the search bar.
- Tap the music note icon to switch to audio search mode.
- Hum, whistle, or sing the tune, or enter the song name if you found it.
- Browse the results for the video and user you’re trying to identify.
With audio search, you may have to scroll through a lot of results depending on how popular the song is. But it’s possible you’ll come across the video you’re looking for.
Use Keywords in the Caption
If you recall any keywords or phrases from the video’s caption, you can search for those to try finding the video and user.
To search by caption keywords:
- Open TikTok and go to the Discover page.
- Tap in the search bar at the top.
- Enter a unique phrase, emoji, hashtag, or keyword you remember from the caption.
- Scroll through the results looking for the video thumbnail and caption you recognize.
With hashtag searches you may get broad results. Try multi-word phrases from the caption for a more targeted search.
Search by Video Description
If the video had a unique description under it, searching for keywords from the description can also help identify the user.
To search by video description:
- Go to the TikTok search bar and tap inside it.
- Type in a distinctive word, phrase, or emoji you recall from the video’s description.
- Browse through the search results looking for the description text you remember.
- Once you find the video, the username will also be displayed above it.
Descriptions on TikTok videos can contain more unique details than captions, making them great for searching.
Use Reverse Image Search
If you have a screenshot of the TikTok video, you can use reverse image search to potentially track down the source.
To use reverse image search:
- Go to Google Images or TinEye.
- Upload or paste the URL of the TikTok screenshot.
- The tools will search to find matches online of the same image.
- Look through the results for a match back to the original TikTok video URL or page.
- If found, this will lead you back to the username of the TikTok user who posted it.
Reverse image search capabilities vary across tools. Google Images tends to work better for finding matches back to TikTok.
Browse Related Sounds
TikTok groups videos together that utilize the same sounds and music. Looking through these related videos may turn up the one you’re searching for.
To browse related sounds:
- Tap the sound name above the video caption.
- This will open a page showing “Videos with this sound”.
- Swipe through the video thumbnails looking for the one you want.
- When you find it, the username will be displayed at the top.
The related sounds feed only shows a portion of all videos using that audio. But it’s still a quick way to uncover the video you may have lost.
Use Recommended Accounts
TikTok’s recommendation algorithm may guide you to the user you’re searching for in the Suggested Accounts section of the app.
To check recommended accounts:
- Go to your TikTok Following feed.
- Pull down on the feed to refresh and load new recommended accounts.
- Tap See All under the Suggested Accounts section.
- Browse through the recommended accounts looking for the one you’re trying to identify.
TikTok’s recommendations are based on the content you view within the app. So if you’ve watched the mystery user’s video before, TikTok may suggest them to you.
Trace Shares on Other Platforms
If the lost TikTok video was shared on another social platform like Twitter, Instagram, or Reddit, you may be able to trace it back to the original user.
To trace via social shares:
- Search on sites like Twitter or Reddit using keywords from the TikTok video.
- Find a post where someone shared or embedded the video you’re looking for.
- The original TikTok caption and username are usually preserved when sharing to other sites.
- Use the username to navigate back to the user’s TikTok profile.
Even if the TikTok video itself has disappeared, traces of it around social media can lead you to the source user. Just search strategically using unique details about the video.
Check Your Watch History
If you were logged into your TikTok account when you originally saw the mystery video, it may be recoverable through your watch history.
To check your watch history:
- Tap the Profile icon in the TikTok app.
- Tap the 3 horizontal lines menu icon.
- Select Watch history from the menu.
- Scroll down through your recent watched videos.
- If you find the one you’re searching for, the username will be displayed above.
Your watch history acts as a viewing log, so you can rediscover videos and users you’ve seen in the past on TikTok. Just be aware the history has a limited duration.
Check LIked Videos
If you previously liked the TikTok video, it will be saved in your Liked videos collection.
To view your liked videos:
- Go to your TikTok profile.
- Tap the Heart icon.
- This will open your Liked videos feed.
- Scroll through looking for the TikTok video and user you’re trying to find.
Liked videos are preserved until you unlike them. So if you liked the video you’re searching for in the past, you should be able to recover it and the associated username here.
Ask Friends If They Have the Video
If you originally saw the TikTok video from a friend, see if they saved, liked, or shared the video. They may still have access to it in some form.
To ask friends:
- Reach out to any friends who may have also watched the TikTok video.
- Ask them to check their Liked videos collection and watch history for the video.
- If they find it, the username of the TikTok user will also be visible.
- Have them share the username back with you so you can visit the user’s profile.
Getting help from friends who saw the same video can enable you to track it down if all other search methods fail. Leverage your social circles during your search.
Contact TikTok Support
If you cannot locate the video through any other means, consider reaching out to TikTok’s own customer support for help.
To contact TikTok support:
- Open the TikTok app and visit your profile page.
- Tap the 3 horizontal lines menu.
- Select the Support option.
- Tap Contact Us and select your issue topic.
- Explain the situation and provide any details about the lost video.
- The support team may be able to assist in finding the source video and user.
Keep in mind the TikTok support team will likely need specific details about the lost video in order to track it down. But customer support is there as a last resort option if you really want to find that user.
Conclusion
There are many clever tactics you can leverage to identify an unknown TikTok user. The key is using the pieces of information about the video you do have access to in order to reverse search and trace it back to the source account. With persistence and the right search strategies, you should be able to rediscover even a seemingly lost TikTok video and its creator.
