TikTok is a popular short-form video app with over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide as of 2023 (TikTok Statistics 2023). On TikTok, each user has a profile that showcases the short videos they have created and shared on the platform.
User profiles on TikTok allow you to view all of the videos posted by a specific user. When you visit someone’s profile, you’ll see their bio, follower and following counts, liked videos, and of course all of their posted content. TikTok profiles help users share their videos and build a following on the platform.
In this article, we’ll walk through how to find and view TikTok profiles to watch videos from specific users.
Search for a User
You can easily search for a specific user’s profile on TikTok using the search bar at the top of the app or website. Simply type the username directly into the search bar and press enter or click the search icon. TikTok will display results for accounts with matching usernames.
For example, if you want to find the profile of @tiktok, you would type “tiktok” into the search bar. TikTok’s official account with the handle @tiktok should appear as the first result.
If you only know part of the username, you can also do a partial search by entering the known part. For instance, searching for “tik” will show accounts like @tiktok, @tiktoknews, @tiktokcreator, and others with “tik” in the handle.
You can also search by name if you don’t know the exact username. This will bring up accounts with matching names in their profile. Keep in mind there may be multiple accounts with the same name.
According to Social Catfish, you can optimize your username search by using quotes around multi-word handles like “catlover123”. This tells TikTok to search for an exact match.
View Profile
Once you locate a user’s profile on TikTok, viewing their content is straightforward. Their profile page displays their bio info, follower count, video views, and posted videos chronologically.1
At the top of the profile, you’ll see the user’s profile picture, username, bio, and follower/following counts. Scrolling down shows their posted videos in reverse chronological order. TikTok automatically plays the videos as you scroll.
The profile page lets you easily watch all of a user’s content to get a sense of their style and interests. You can like, share, and comment on their videos directly from their profile. It offers a full overview of their presence on TikTok.
Follow a User
Following a user on TikTok allows you to see their content in your Following feed. Here are the steps to follow a TikTok user:
1. Open the TikTok app and search for the user you want to follow either by username or hashtag. You can also find new users to follow on the Discover page.
2. Navigate to their profile page.
3. Tap the “+” Follow button next to their username. The button will turn blue once you are following them.
4. Once you follow a user, their new videos will start appearing in your Following feed on the TikTok home page. You can also view only their videos by tapping on their profile and selecting “Videos”.
If you are unable to follow someone on TikTok, it could be because your account is new or you have hit the daily following limit. You can also check this guide for other troubleshooting tips.
FYP vs Following Feed
The FYP (For You Page) and Following Feed are two separate feeds on TikTok that showcase different content. The main differences between them are:
The FYP showcases videos from creators you don’t follow, selected by TikTok’s recommendation algorithm based on your interests and engagement. The FYP is personalized to each user. Meanwhile, the Following Feed shows the latest videos from the creators and hashtags you follow in chronological order.
The FYP aims to show you new and relevant content to keep you engaged on TikTok. The Following Feed allows you to easily see new content from creators you already like. Users can toggle between the two feeds by swiping left or right on the main TikTok page.
TikTok’s algorithm curates the FYP based on each user’s habits, likes, shares, comments, and other engagement. The more a user interacts with certain types of content, the more likely TikTok will show them similar content. This creates a customized stream of entertaining, informative, and relevant videos.
So in summary, the FYP showcases a mix of videos tailored to your tastes, while the Following Feed chronologically displays the latest from your subscribed creators. Toggling between the two allows you to discover new content as well as keep up with your favorites.
Like Videos
One of the best ways to see more videos from a specific user or related to a certain topic is to like videos. According to TikTok’s algorithm, liking videos signals to the app that you are interested in that type of content. The more videos you like, the better the algorithm gets at recommending relevant videos for your For You Page (FYP).
To like a video, simply tap the heart icon during or after watching it. You can also double tap on a video while it is playing to quickly like it. The heart icon will turn red once you’ve liked a video. You can easily unlike a video by tapping the red heart again.
Liking lots of videos from a particular creator is a great way to see more of their content. The TikTok algorithm will recognize that you enjoy that user’s videos and start promoting more of them in your feed. It’s also helpful to like videos about topics you want to see more of, such as comedy sketches, dance challenges, cooking recipes, etc.
According to an article on Later’s blog, “The more you interact with a certain type of content, the more of it you’ll see” https://later.com/blog/tiktok-algorithm/. So be sure to tap that heart icon generously on videos you enjoy to train the algorithm and see more of what you like.
Share Videos
Sharing videos with friends is easy on TikTok. To share a video, simply tap the share icon on the video. This will pull up options to share via messages, copy link, embed and more.
To share a video with friends directly in TikTok, tap the share icon and select “messages”. This will allow you to send the video directly to friends on TikTok through direct messaging. You can share videos with multiple friends at once this way.
To get a shareable link to a video, tap the share icon and select “copy link”. This will copy a URL to your clipboard that you can paste in messages, emails, social posts and more to share the video outside of TikTok.
You can also download videos to share outside the app. Tap the share icon and select “save video”. This will save the video right to your camera roll where you can then upload and share wherever you want.
Comment on Videos
Commenting on videos is a great way to interact with creators on TikTok. When you comment on a video, the creator will be notified and can respond back to you. Here’s how to comment on TikTok videos:
Tap on the comment icon at the bottom of a video to open up the comments. Type your comment into the text box at the bottom and tap ‘Post’ when you are ready to submit it. You can reply directly to other comments by tapping the reply button next to them.
Comments on TikTok are public, so anyone who views the video can see the comment thread. Use comments to give your thoughts on the video, ask questions, or have a conversation with the creator or community. Creators often respond to commenters to further engage their audience.
You can also like comments from other viewers. Tap the heart icon next to any comment you want to like. Liking comments helps them stand out so the creator can see which comments resonate most with their audience.
If you want to delete your own comment later, just tap on the three dots icon next to your comment and select ‘Delete’. You can delete your comments at any time to manage your interactions.
Commenting regularly on a creator’s videos is a great way to establish yourself within their community. Thoughtful, relevant comments may even get liked or replied to by the creator themself!
Direct Message Users
One of the best ways to connect with other users on TikTok is through direct messaging. Direct messaging allows you to privately message another user. Here’s how to direct message on TikTok:
To start a new direct message thread, visit the profile of the user you want to message. Tap the three dot menu icon in the upper right corner and select “Message” from the menu. This will open up a messaging window where you can type out your message.
Keep in mind you can only message users who follow you back. If someone doesn’t follow you, the Message option will not be available. TikTok has this limit in place as an anti-spam measure.
You can carry on conversations and continue messaging as long as the other user reciprocates. The messaging window will show your full history of direct messages with that particular user.
If you are having trouble messaging someone, check that your account and the other user’s account is set to public. Private accounts can only message their own followers. Additionally, some users report issues direct messaging if they have previously blocked or muted that user.
Direct messaging is a great way to make connections and friends on TikTok. Just be sure the other user follows you back first before initiating a conversation.
Conclusion
Looking up and viewing a specific user’s videos on TikTok is easy with just a few simple steps. The key ways to find and watch someone’s content are:
- Searching for their username in the TikTok search bar
- Visiting their profile page and scrolling through their posted videos
- Following them so their videos appear in your Following feed
- Liking, sharing, or commenting on their videos to engage with their content
- Messaging them directly if you want to connect or provide feedback
Whether you want to watch funny videos from your favorite creator, discover new content in a niche, or interact with friends, TikTok makes it easy to find and view videos from any user you’d like. So search for that entertaining new creator you just heard about and start watching their content today!
