TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. One of the unique features of TikTok is the ability to broadcast live streams. With the rise in popularity of live streaming on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, TikTok wanted to capitalize on this trend.
TikTok’s live streaming feature allows creators to engage with their audience in real time through interactive videos. Live streams open up opportunities for things like Q&As, behind-the-scenes footage, collaborations, and more. Brands can also leverage live streaming for product launches, events, tutorials, and connecting with customers.
There are several ways users can find live streams happening on TikTok. This guide will provide an overview of the main features and tools available for discovering live content.
Following Notifications
To get notifications when people you follow go live on TikTok, you’ll need to enable notifications for their live videos in your settings:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
2. Tap on the menu icon in the top right and select “Settings and privacy”.
3. Under “Push notifications”, tap on “Live stream notifications”.
4. Toggle on “People you follow” to get notified whenever someone you follow starts a live stream.
You can also customize these notifications by tapping on “Advanced settings” and selecting when and how often you want to receive live stream notifications for your followers.
With this enabled, you’ll get a push notification on your phone whenever someone you follow goes live on TikTok so you don’t miss it! You can tap on the notification to be taken directly to their live video.
Source: Notifications | TikTok Help Center
For You Page
One way to discover live streams on TikTok is through the For You Page (FYP). The FYP is the main feed that shows a mix of videos based on TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. Live videos may appear on your FYP alongside other non-live content.
To find live streams, simply scroll through your FYP feed and watch for the “LIVE” badge on any video thumbnails. TikTok’s algorithm will serve up live broadcasts based on your interests, follows, engagement, and watch history. The more you interact with certain types of content, the more likely you are to see related live streams.
According to TikTok, the FYP feed is personalized for each user. It aims to “cultivate a viewing experience that feels customized just for you.” The algorithm detects your preferences and shows you content it thinks you’ll enjoy. So by regularly scrolling through your FYP, you can discover which live streams you vibe with.
(Source: https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-algorithm/)
Search
One way to find people going live on TikTok is to use the search bar at the top of the app or website. You can search for relevant keywords, topics, or usernames of creators who commonly go live. For example, searching “live stream” or “going live” will surface results of live videos happening now. You can also search for genres like “gaming live” or “comedy live” to find live streams in those categories.
When you tap on a result that is currently live, it will take you directly into the live video so you can start watching. The search feature makes it easy to discover new creators streaming live content around themes you’re interested in.
Source: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/how-do-you-find-live-streams-on-tiktok?lang=en
Browse Categories
One easy way to find live streams on TikTok is to browse through different content categories. TikTok has many categories like Gaming, Music, Food, DIY, Fashion, Daily Life, and more. Adding relevant hashtags to your streams can help surface your content in certain categories.
Some of the most popular categories for live streaming on TikTok include:
- Gaming – Stream your gameplay and interact with viewers
- Music – Perform, sing, or DJ live
- Q&A – Host an interactive chat session
- Beauty – Provide makeup tutorials and tips
- Sports – Offer commentary on sports matches
Browsing these interest-based categories allows you to easily find live streams in your favorite topics. Just tap on a category to view current live videos in that niche. This is a great way to connect with creators who are streaming about shared interests.
Map
One way to find people going live on TikTok is through the Map feature, which shows you live streams happening nearby. You can access the Map by tapping the search bar at the top and selecting “Map” from the options. This will bring up an interactive map showing your location and red profile icons for any live broadcasts nearby (within a few miles). Tapping on one of the red icons will take you directly into that person’s live stream so you can view it.
The Map is great for discovering live content based on your location. For example, you may find someone broadcasting from a local hotspot or venue you frequent. It connects you to what’s happening live around you. However, the Map only shows a limited nearby radius and relies on your device’s geolocation being turned on. Still, it’s a handy feature for stumbling upon live broadcasts close by that you may not have found otherwise. Checking the Map can unveil an engaging livestream just down the block that you can join.
Following List
Another easy way to find people going live on TikTok is to check your Following list. To view your Following list:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on the “Me” tab at the bottom.
- Tap on “Following” at the top of the screen.
- This will show you all the accounts you currently follow. Accounts that are live will show a “LIVE” badge next to their name.
Scrolling through your Following list allows you to quickly see which accounts you follow are currently streaming live. You can then tap on their name to jump right into their live video. This is a convenient way to get notifications when the creators you care about most are going live.
Live Tab
One of the easiest ways to find people going live on TikTok is to use the dedicated Live Tab. This tab allows you to browse current live streams from across TikTok in one place.
To access the Live Tab, simply open the TikTok app and tap on the “Live” tab at the bottom of the screen. This will take you to a feed of live broadcasts happening at that moment from creators all over TikTok.
The Live Tab shows live videos sorted by category, popularity, and location. You can scroll through the feed to preview live streams and tap on any broadcast to jump in and watch. This gives you a centralized place to discover new creators streaming live and see what popular streams are happening now.
According to TikTok’s support site, the Live Tab allows you to “view videos from creators who are currently LIVE” (source). So checking the Live Tab throughout the day is a simple way to catch TikTok live streams as they happen.
Notifications Tab
One of the easiest ways to find people going live on TikTok is through the Notifications tab. This is where you’ll see notifications for when people you follow go live. When someone starts a live video, you’ll get a push notification saying “[User] is now live on TikTok.” Tapping on this notification will take you directly to their live video.
To make sure you have live notifications turned on:
- Open TikTok and tap on the “Profile” icon in the bottom right.
- Tap on the menu icon in the top right and go to “Settings & privacy.”
- Under “Notifications,” tap on “Push notifications.”
- Make sure the toggle next to “Live videos” is turned on.
With live notifications enabled, the Notifications tab acts as a feed showing you whenever someone you follow starts broadcasting live. It’s the easiest way to discover and join livestreams from people you’re already interested in.
Source: Notifications | TikTok Help Center
Conclusion
In summary, the main ways to find people going live on TikTok are through following notifications, the For You page, search, categories, the map, your following list, and the live and notifications tabs.
Some tips for discovering new live content on TikTok include: turning on notifications for creators you want to watch, checking the For You page regularly, searching relevant hashtags and keywords, browsing different categories like gaming or music, exploring different locations on the map, and tapping into the live and notifications tabs.
With all of these built-in tools for finding lives, it’s easy to discover new and interesting content on TikTok. Stay updated on your favorite creators and topics by exploring all of these options.
