TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the most used social media platforms globally. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok offers a creative outlet for short-form videos ranging from dances to cooking to comedy sketches and more. As TikTok grows, many users are wondering how many separate accounts they can have on the platform. This is an important question for people who want to manage multiple accounts for different purposes and audiences.
Understanding TikTok’s policy around multiple accounts enables users to properly set up and organize their presence on TikTok. It also sheds light on how TikTok attempts to maintain platform integrity by limiting spam and fake accounts. The number of accounts one can have directly impacts strategies for content creators and marketers as well. Examining the reasons people desire multiple accounts and the associated benefits and risks provides helpful context around optimizing your use of TikTok.
TikTok’s Policy on Multiple Accounts
TikTok’s official policy allows users to create and manage multiple accounts from the same device [1]. However, TikTok warns that creating multiple accounts to avoid an account restriction or ban is prohibited and may result in additional restrictions or permanent banning [1].
According to their policy, acceptable reasons for having multiple accounts include separating personal and professional content or using separate accounts for different languages. However, repeatedly posting the same content across multiple accounts or operating multiple accounts that impersonate someone else are examples of unacceptable uses of multiple accounts according to TikTok [1].
Reasons for Having Multiple Accounts
Many TikTok users choose to maintain multiple accounts for various reasons. The most common is to separate personal and professional content. For instance, someone may have one account for posting fun videos with friends, and a separate account for promoting their business, art, or other talents.
According to Remote Tools, keeping personal and professional content separated allows users to clearly define their brand and target audience. Businesses, influencers, artists, and content creators often prefer to have an account dedicated to their work rather than mixing it in with personal videos.
Some users also maintain secondary accounts as backups in case their main account gets hacked or banned. Multiple accounts can also help creators test out different content styles and niches. Having distinct accounts for varying interests such as comedy, DIY, fashion, etc. allows users to cultivate content and followers within each niche.
Limits on Number of Accounts
Technically, TikTok allows users to create up to 5 accounts per device, according to its terms of service. However, in practice, users report being able to have up to 3 accounts logged in simultaneously on one device before running into issues.
This 3 account limit seems to be a practical constraint, likely intended to discourage spam and abuse. TikTok wants to ensure each account represents a real individual, so they restrict the number of accounts per device. Trying to use more than 3 accounts per device often leads to accounts being flagged or banned.
Additionally, TikTok does not allow users under the age of 18 to manage more than one account. This policy aims to protect younger users who may not understand the implications of managing multiple online identities.
Managing Multiple Accounts
When you have multiple TikTok accounts, it’s important to keep them organized and easily switch between them. Here are some tips for smoothly managing multiple accounts:
To switch between accounts in the TikTok app, go to your profile page and tap the account profile photo in the top right corner. This will show a list of your accounts that you can tap to switch to.
It can also help to give each account a distinct profile photo and username so you can tell them apart at a glance when switching between them.
Some users find it helpful to use different devices for different accounts, like having one account on their phone and another on a tablet. This allows seamless switching without having to log in and out.
Using a social media management platform like Shift (https://tryshift.com/blog/apps-hub/how-to-manage-multiple-tiktok-accounts/) can make it easy to access and post to multiple accounts from one dashboard.
No matter how you choose to organize multiple accounts, consistency and clear labeling are key for keeping track of each account’s content and performance.
Best Practices
There are some best practices to follow when using multiple TikTok accounts to ensure you use them effectively and avoid issues:
First, make sure each account has a distinct purpose and personality – don’t just duplicate the same content across accounts. Tailor the content to each audience (https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-multiple-social-media-accounts-for-your-business/).
Log in and out of each account frequently instead of staying logged into all of them. This helps keep the algorithm from getting confused by the same person using different accounts (https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-multiple-social-media-accounts-for-your-business/).
Be strategic about cross-promoting between accounts – don’t overdo it. An occasional relevant post can help grow each audience without annoying people.
Monitor all accounts consistently. Don’t neglect one while focusing on another. Keep the content fresh and engaging across all of them.
Use third-party social media management tools to schedule content efficiently across multiple accounts.
Risks and Downsides
There are several potential risks and downsides to having multiple TikTok accounts that users should be aware of. According to sources, TikTok may flag accounts that engage heavily with each other, suspending accounts or limiting their reach if it appears like self-promotion. TikTok also cracks down on users operating multiple accounts to artificially boost popularity. So liking, commenting, and engaging with your own videos across accounts can risk suspension. Additionally, managing multiple accounts requires more time and effort, taking away energy from creating quality content. There’s also the risk of spreading yourself too thin if you can’t actively maintain multiple accounts. Ultimately, the risks come down to ensuring proper account management and avoiding self-promotion techniques.
Account Security
When managing multiple TikTok accounts, it’s crucial to keep each account secure to avoid getting banned. According to TikTok’s support page, the platform recommends enabling two-factor authentication, using strong and unique passwords for each account, and avoiding logging in from public WiFi networks to protect account security (https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/account-safety). It’s also advisable to avoid using the same email address for multiple accounts, as this can trigger TikTok’s spam detection systems.
Experts suggest logging into each account from a different device if possible. Using the same device for multiple accounts increases the risk of getting IP banned. It’s also a good idea to avoid liking, commenting, or engaging with your other accounts to keep them separated (https://gologin.com/blog/multiple-tiktok-accounts).
Overall, diligently monitoring account activity, avoiding suspicious behavior across accounts, and maintaining separate identities for each account is key to keeping multiple accounts safe and active on TikTok.
Advertising Considerations
Having multiple TikTok accounts can impact your advertising strategy and budget in a few key ways. According to TikTok’s support site, you can have multiple advertiser accounts connected to a single TikTok Business Center for managing ads. This allows you to target different audiences and track performance for each account separately. However, your overall ad spend is still limited by your budget and subject to competitive bidding for ad placements.
Spreading your ad budget across too many accounts could lead to ineffective ad targeting and lower visibility for each account. As advised on Reddit, it’s best to consolidate ad spending into just a few accounts with focused targeting versus having many accounts competing for the same placements. Overall, the ideal strategy is to have a separate advertiser account for each major customer or campaign objective, while designating the bulk of your budget to the highest priority accounts.
Conclusion
In summary, while TikTok officially allows users to have multiple accounts, there are some limits and risks to be aware of. The main reasons people create additional accounts include separating professional and personal content, gaining more visibility by targeting different audiences, and increasing their daily posting limits. However, having too many accounts or misusing them can get you banned or shadowbanned. Overall, it’s fine to have a few extra accounts if used properly and ethically, but be cautious about going overboard. Focus on producing quality content and engaging genuinely with the TikTok community. Multiple accounts can help expand your reach if utilized strategically, but your main focus should be on developing one primary account with a strong, authentic brand and identity.
