What Does a Private TikTok Account Mean?
A private TikTok account means only approved followers can view your content. When your account is set to private, your videos, likes, follows, and any other activity will be hidden from people who don’t follow you (1).
In contrast, a public TikTok account is viewable by anyone on the platform. Public accounts allow anyone to see your profile information, videos, likes, comments, and all other activity. Public profiles get more views and exposure since anyone can access the content (2).
The main difference between a private and public TikTok account is the ability to control who can view and interact with your content. Private accounts give you more privacy and restrict access, while public accounts are open and visible to all TikTok users.
Benefits of a Private TikTok Account
Making your TikTok account private comes with several benefits. The main advantage is that only approved followers can view your content (source). When your account is set to private, your videos, likes, followers, and following lists will be hidden from people who don’t follow you.
Going private allows you to restrict your audience and curate who sees your content. This gives you more control over who engages with your profile. Having a private account is recommended for minors and anyone who wants an extra layer of privacy and security.
In addition, private accounts can help limit unwanted comments or interactions from strangers. Your content will only be visible to people you approve to follow you. Making your TikTok private can create a safer, more personalized experience.
How to Make Your TikTok Account Private
Changing your TikTok account from public to private is easy to do. Follow these simple steps:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner.
3. Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
4. Tap on “Privacy” under the “Account” section.
5. Toggle the switch for “Private account” so it turns blue.
6. Tap “Confirm” to finalize the change.
Your TikTok account is now set to private. Only people you approve as followers will be able to view your videos and profile. You can go back to this setting at any time to switch your account back to public if desired.
For more details, refer to TikTok’s support article on making your account public or private.
Allowing Followers on a Private Account
When your TikTok account is set to private, you have full control over who can follow you. People who want to follow your private account must send a follow request that you can choose to approve or deny.
To manage follow requests on a private TikTok account:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on the “Inbox” icon in the bottom right.
- Select the “Followers” tab at the top.
- Here you will see a list of all pending follow requests. Tap on a request to view the user’s profile.
- If you want to approve the request, tap “Confirm.” If you want to deny it, tap “Delete.”
- You can also tap the three dots next to a request to approve or delete multiple requests at once.
It’s important to vet follower requests and only approve users you are comfortable having access to your private content. Denying a follow request will also block that user from viewing your private videos or sending another request in the future.
You can also easily see a list of all your approved followers. Just tap on your profile icon in the bottom right of the app and select “Followers.” Here you can unfollow or block any followers you want removed from your private account.
Limitations of a Private Account
While making your TikTok account private has some benefits, there are also some limitations to be aware of:
One major limitation is that private videos have a much harder time going viral and reaching a wide audience. Since your videos are only visible to followers you approve, it’s unlikely they will get shared and gain traction with the broader TikTok community (source). This can limit your ability to grow an engaged following.
You may also see lower engagement on your videos, since less people are able to view, like, comment, and share them. Users are more likely to interact with videos that show up on their For You page or get shared virally (source).
So if your goal is to maximize viewership and grow a large audience, a private account may not be the best option.
Making Your Account Public Again
If you decide you want to switch your TikTok account back to public, you can easily do so in just a few steps:
- Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page.
- Tap the three dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
- Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
- Tap “Privacy”
- Toggle the switch for “Private account” off. This will instantly make your account public again.
Once you toggle your account back to public, anyone will be able to view your profile and videos again without needing to request to follow you. According to TikTok’s support article, this change happens immediately (https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/account-privacy-settings/making-your-account-public-or-private).
If you want to limit access to your account again in the future, you can always return to the privacy settings and re-enable your private account. TikTok makes it easy to switch back and forth depending on your preferences at any given time.
Private Account Settings
TikTok allows you to customize the privacy settings for your private account. Under the “Privacy” section in Settings, you can choose who is allowed to view your content, comment on your videos, and send messages to you.
By default, only your followers are allowed to view your private videos. However, you can enable options like “Friends Only” which restricts your private content to only people you are also following. There is also a “Contacts Only” setting that shares your private videos only with people in your phone’s contact list who are on TikTok.
The messaging settings let you control who can send direct messages to you. The options are Everyone, Friends Only, and No One. This helps filter unsolicited messages if you have a private account.
Similarly, you can limit commenting on your private videos to Everyone, Friends Only, or turn commenting off altogether. This prevents unwanted interactions from strangers.
You can also decide whether or not you want to be added to user-shared content. Disabling this will prevent other users from tagging you or including your content in collaborative TikTok videos without your approval.
All these granular controls allow customizing a private account to match your preferences. Check your account’s “Privacy” settings to configure the options.
Private Account Best Practices
Here are some tips for using a private TikTok account effectively:
– Be selective about who you allow to follow you. It’s best to only approve follow requests from people you know and trust. Rejecting follow requests from strangers maintains the privacy of your account.
– Periodically review your list of approved followers and remove any that you no longer wish to share your private content with. You can do this in the settings under “Followers.”
– Use TikTok’s blocking and reporting tools if any followers engage in harassing behavior or share your private content without consent. This will revoke their access.
– Customize your account and video privacy settings to control exactly who can see, comment on, and react to your content. For example, you may want to limit commenting to only approved followers.
– Consider turning off the ability for others to download your videos if you want full control over where your content is shared. This prevents reuploads by others.
– Monitor hashtags and sounds associated with your videos. Restricting these makes it more difficult for your content to be found and identified by non-followers.
– Don’t overshare personal details like your real name, location, school, workplace, etc. This maintains separation between your public and private social presence.
Troubleshooting Issues
Sometimes private accounts on TikTok can encounter problems. Here are some solutions for common issues with private accounts:
- Can’t switch to private – Make sure your app is updated to the latest version. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, choose “Settings and privacy”, then “Privacy”, and toggle on “Private account”. If it’s still not working, try logging out and back in.
- Followers disappeared – When you switch to private, followers don’t automatically carry over. You’ll need to approve each follower request for them to follow you again. Check your notifications for pending requests.
- Forgotten password – Use the “Forgot password” option on the login screen. TikTok will email you a reset link. If you no longer have access to the email, contact TikTok support to recover access.
- Can’t log in – Try clearing the app cache and data and reinstalling the app. If that doesn’t work, reset your password. For other login issues, see TikTok’s troubleshooting guide.
- Content not posting – Check your connectivity. Restart the app and try again. Also confirm your account is not banned or temporarily restricted.
If you continue having issues with your private TikTok account, contact TikTok support for assistance recovering access or debugging problems.
FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about private TikTok accounts:
Can someone view my private videos if they aren’t following me?
No, only your approved followers can view your private videos. Other users will not be able to find or watch your private videos (Choosing between a private or public account).
Can I prevent specific followers from viewing my private videos?
Yes, you can block individual followers which will prevent them from viewing your private videos. Go to your profile, tap the follower you want to block, and select “Block” (TikTok: How to Make Your Account Private).
I lost access to my private account. How can I recover it?
If you lost access to your private account, you can recover it by going to the login page, tapping “Get help signing in”, and selecting “Report a login issue”. You’ll need to provide proof that you own the account (Can we view a private tiktok account because I have lost my account).
