What is the Friends Tab in TikTok?
The Friends Tab is a personalized feed on TikTok that shows you videos from the people you follow and interact with most. It differs from the For You page (also called the Discover tab), which shows you videos based on TikTok’s recommendation algorithm.
While the For You page surfaces popular and trending videos you may be interested in, the Friends Tab specifically highlights content from your friends and followers. So you’ll see more familiar creators and accounts you already engage with regularly.
The Friends Tab allows you to easily keep up with and discover new videos from people in your TikTok social circle. It provides a more personalized experience compared to the main For You feed.
TikTok began rolling out the Friends Tab to users in early 2022 as a way to emphasize content from their connections, amidst concerns about too much algorithmic recommendations. The Friends Tab aims to balance algorithmic suggestions with videos from your chosen networks.
To access the Friends Tab, simply swipe left on the main TikTok page to toggle between the Friends, Following, and For You feeds. But first you’ll need to enable the Friends Tab, which we’ll cover next.
Why Would You Want the Friends Tab?
The Friends Tab allows you to see content specifically from people you follow and engage with on TikTok. Unlike the For You page which shows videos based on algorithms, the Friends Tab prioritizes videos from your connections.
There are two main benefits to using the Friends Tab instead of relying solely on the For You page:
- See Content From People You Follow – The Friends Tab shows videos from people you follow, so you’re more likely to see content relevant to your interests and from creators you already enjoy.
- Avoid Irrelevant/Unwanted Videos – Since it’s tailored to who you follow, the Friends Tab cuts down on irrelevant videos or content you may not want to see in your Discover feed.
Overall, the Friends Tab allows you to strengthen connections and focus your TikTok experience on an engaged community of creators and content.
How to Get the Friends Tab
If you don’t see the Friends tab on your TikTok app, there are a few things you can try to get it to appear:
Update the App
Make sure you have the latest version of TikTok installed. Open the App Store or Google Play Store on your device and check for any available updates to the TikTok app. Installing the most recent update may enable the Friends tab if it wasn’t previously appearing.
Enable Sync Contacts
TikTok uses your device’s contacts to determine which TikTok users are your friends. To enable this:
- Go to your Profile > Settings > Privacy
- Turn on “Sync Contacts” to allow TikTok to access your phone contacts
TikTok will then match your contacts to other TikTok users to build your Friends tab.
Follow Other TikTok Users
The more accounts you follow on TikTok, the more potential friends the app can match you with. Search for people you know who have TikTok accounts and follow them. You can also follow creators that you like to be suggested similar accounts to follow.
Following more users gives TikTok a larger pool to find your friends from and populate your Friends tab.
Enable Sync Contacts
One of the easiest ways to populate your Friends tab is to enable contact syncing in your TikTok settings. This allows TikTok to access your phone’s contacts and match them with other TikTok users. According to TikTok’s Help Center, syncing your contacts helps “quickly find and connect with friends who also use TikTok.”
To enable contact syncing:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile icon in the bottom right.
- Tap the Menu icon in the top right corner.
- Go to Settings and Privacy.
- Tap on Privacy.
- Turn on the toggle for “Sync Contacts.”
Once enabled, TikTok will compare your phone contacts to its user base and add any matches to your Friends tab. This makes it easy to instantly follow friends and build up your Friends feed.
However, the Help Center notes that syncing contacts is optional and you can control who sees your account through your privacy settings (Source). So enable syncing with discretion if you have privacy concerns.
Follow Other TikTok Users
One of the main ways to populate your Friends feed is to follow other TikTok users, especially people you know. Here are some tips for finding and following users on TikTok to build up your Friends tab:
Follow friends and family members who have TikTok accounts. Search for their usernames or connect your contacts to find people you know.
Look up creators, brands, celebrities, or other accounts you like. Follow ones that produce content you enjoy watching.
Check out the “For You” feed and tap “Follow” on any users whose videos you find entertaining or useful.
Browse TikTok’s search and discovery features to find creators in categories you’re interested in. Follow accounts in your hobbies, fandoms, etc.
Following more users you like will give you a populated feed on the Friends tab. TikTok’s algorithm will use your follows to recommend content in your Friends feed.
Remember not to follow bots or fake accounts just to increase numbers. Focus on real users you want to see more of in your feed.
Check for App Updates
One simple step to getting the Friends tab is to make sure you have the latest version of TikTok installed. TikTok frequently rolls out new features and updates to the app, so having an outdated version could prevent you from accessing the Friends tab.
On iOS, you can check for TikTok updates by going to the App Store and tapping your profile icon in the top right. Pull down to refresh, and any available updates for your apps will appear. For TikTok specifically, you can also search “TikTok” in the App Store search bar – if an Update button appears instead of Open, there is a newer version to install.
On Android, open the Google Play Store app and tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left. Go to My Apps & Games > Installed to see your installed apps. Any apps with available updates will show an Update button. You can also search “TikTok” in the Play Store to check for updates.
Installing the latest TikTok update only takes a minute and can provide you with new features, like the Friends tab. Staying current ensures you have the best experience on the platform.
Still No Friends Tab? Try This:
If you’ve followed all the steps but the Friends tab still isn’t showing up, there are a few more tricks you can try:
Log out and back in – Sometimes simply logging out of your TikTok account and logging back in can refresh the app and make the Friends tab appear. Close the app completely, log out, restart the app, and log back in.
Delete and reinstall TikTok – Uninstalling the TikTok app and re-downloading it can also potentially fix any glitches preventing the Friends tab from showing up. Make sure to back up any content you want to save before deleting the app.
Contact Support – If the Friends tab is still missing after trying the above steps, you may need to reach out to TikTok’s support team directly. You can submit a request through the app or TikTok’s help website at https://support.tiktok.com/en. They may be able to diagnose and resolve the issue.
Customize Your Friends Tab
The Friends Tab allows you to tailor your feed based on likes, comments, and follows. You can prioritize the content you see from certain friends by adjusting settings within the Friends Tab.
Go to your profile icon > Friends Tab > Friends Tab Settings. Here you can choose to see videos first from friends you interact with the most. Select “Prioritize videos from friends you like, comment on, or follow the most.”
You can also filter to only show videos from friends you follow back. Toggle “Only show videos from friends who follow you back” to on. This will remove videos in your Friends Tab from friends who don’t also follow you.
Additionally, you can choose friends you never want to see videos from in your Friends Tab. Go to Friends Management and select “Hide videos” next to any friends. Their content will no longer appear in your customized feed.
Adjust these settings to personalize your Friends Tab so it shows more of who and what you care about. Tailor your TikTok experience by boosting content from friends you engage with frequently.
For more on customizing your Friends Tab feed, visit: https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/exploring-videos/friends-tab
Friends Tab vs FYP: Key Differences
The Friends Tab and the For You Page (FYP) are the two main feeds on TikTok. While they both display TikTok videos, there are some key differences in the content and experience:
The Friends Tab shows you the latest videos from people you follow who also follow you back. This creates a more personal feed of content from your connections on TikTok. According to TikTok’s support page, “This feed features content from followers that you follow back and other suggested accounts based on your interests.”
In contrast, the FYP is TikTok’s main feed that is tailored to you based on their recommendation algorithm. As explained by Planoly, “Each user’s FYP is different and curated with video content based on TikTok’s algorithm.” So the FYP aims to serve you new and relevant content even if you don’t follow those creators.
In summary, the Friends Tab prioritizes videos from your connections while the FYP is focused on suggesting new content you may like based on your viewing history and interests. The Friends Tab creates a more social, intimate feed while the FYP is optimized for discovery.
FAQs
Here are some common questions about the Friends tab on TikTok:
Why can’t I find the Friends tab on my TikTok app?
The most likely reason you can’t find the Friends tab is because you need to enable Sync Contacts in your TikTok settings first. Go to your profile, tap the 3-dot menu, choose “Settings and privacy,” then “Sync contacts” to connect your contacts and find friends on TikTok. Once enabled, you should see the Friends tab next to the Following and For You tabs in your main feed.
What’s the difference between the Friends and For You feeds?
The For You feed shows videos from across TikTok based on your interests and activity. The Friends feed specifically shows videos from people you follow who also follow you back. It helps you discover content within your social circle on TikTok.
Why did my Friends tab disappear?
TikTok rolls out features gradually, so sometimes the Friends tab may vanish if your app hasn’t received the latest update. Try checking for any available updates to the TikTok app in your device’s app store. Once updated to the latest version, you should see the Friends tab again.
Can I remove the Friends tab?
There is no setting to permanently remove the Friends tab. However, you can customize your tabs to control which ones show up. Tap on the Following tab, then Edit at the top. Drag tabs to reorder them or toggle them off to hide tabs like Friends.
