If you want to see who someone is following on TikTok, there are a few different methods you can use depending on if the account is public or private. For public accounts, it’s easy to see the full list of accounts a user is following. For private accounts, it takes a bit more work but there are still ways to get an idea of who they follow.
Searching a Public TikTok Account’s Following List
If the TikTok account you want to view the following list of is public, the process is straightforward:
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile device and go to the profile page of the account you want to check.
- Look for the number of accounts the user is following, shown under their profile photo and username.
- Tap on that Following number.
- This will open up a full list of all the accounts that user currently follows on TikTok. You can scroll down to view the entire list.
On TikTok’s website, you can also easily see who someone follows if their account is public. Simply go to their profile page and click on “Following” next to their follower count. This will display their full following list.
Searching a Private TikTok Account’s Following List
If the TikTok account you want to check has their profile set to private, you won’t be able to see their full following list. However, there are still a couple ways to get an idea of who they follow:
View Likes
Even if a profile is private, you can still see the posts that the user has liked publicly. To do this:
- Go to the user’s profile page.
- Tap on the “Likes” tab under their bio.
- This will show you all of the public videos and content that the user has liked recently.
- Look at the usernames of the accounts posting the liked videos to get an idea of who the user follows and interacts with.
Look for Comments
Similar to likes, you can look for public comments left by a private account to identify users they may follow. To do this:
- Search popular hashtags and videos related to the user’s interests.
- Look for comments left by the private account you want to check.
- The commented videos and accounts may give you clues about who the private user follows and interacts with.
View Duets and Stitches
If the private user has posted public duets or stitched videos from other accounts, you can look at who they are duetting and stitching as those are likely accounts they follow and like.
See Shared Videos
Private users can still share public videos to their profile feed. Look for any public videos shared by the private account, as those accounts are likely ones they follow.
Check Hashtag Usage
See what hashtags the private account uses in their captions and bios. Search those hashtags to potentially find content from accounts they follow and engage with.
Follower-Following Ratio
While you can’t see the full following list of a private account, you can still view their number of followers and following. Comparing these numbers can give you an idea of how selective they are with their following list:
- A low following number compared to followers usually indicates they are selective about who they follow.
- A high following number close to their follower count indicates they likely follow back many accounts.
- A following count higher than their followers means they follow a lot of accounts, likely many of interest.
Viewing Following Lists of Private Accounts You Follow
If you already follow the private account whose following list you want to see, there are options to view it:
Follower Analyzer Apps
Third-party TikTok analytics apps like SocialTracker and Popsters can show full following lists for accounts you follow. Simply connect your TikTok account to view this data.
Download Your Data
In TikTok’s Privacy and Settings, you can request to download your account data. This will include the following lists of all accounts you currently follow.
Guess Based on Interests and Interactions
Without seeing their actual following list, you can make educated guesses at who a private TikTok user might follow based on:
- Hashtags and topics they frequently engage with
- Sounds and songs they use in their videos
- Types of videos they share and post themselves
- Other accounts they view content from or collaborate with
While not a complete picture, this can give you good insight into the types of accounts and influencers they likely follow and interact with.
Making Your Own TikTok Account Private
If you want to make your own following list private on TikTok, you can do so through these steps:
- Go to your TikTok profile.
- Tap the three dot menu button in the upper right corner.
- Select “Privacy and Safety.”
- Toggle “Private Account” on.
- Tap “Confirm” to make your account private.
This will prevent people from being able to view your full following and followers lists. People will only be able to see your content if you approve them as a follower.
