We all know the feeling – you come across an amazing TikTok video that makes you laugh or inspires you, but you forget to like or save it. Before you know it, the video is lost in the endless sea of content on TikTok and you have no idea how to find it again. Don’t worry, there are several ways to try and retrieve that lost TikTok video!
Check your likes
The easiest thing to try first is checking your likes. Open the TikTok app and tap on the heart icon in the bottom navigation bar. This will bring up all of the videos you have previously liked. Scroll through to see if you had liked that lost video. Sometimes our memory fails us and we realize we did hit the like button after all. If you don’t see it in your likes, try searching for some keywords related to the video in your likes to see if anything rings a bell.
Look in your share history
If you shared the TikTok video that you can no longer find, it may be in your sharing history. In the TikTok app, go to your profile page and tap on the three horizontal lines menu icon in the upper right corner. Choose “Settings and privacy” then select “Content and activity.” Here you will find options to see your sharing history which shows all of the videos you have sent to friends or shared elsewhere.
Check messages
Did someone perhaps send you the TikTok video that you can’t find? Open up your messages in the app and search through any conversations where someone may have shared a TikTok with you. You can search for keywords related to the lost video too. If the video was sent to you via text outside of TikTok, be sure to look through your regular messaging apps as well.
See your viewing history
TikTok keeps track of all the videos you watch for a period of time. You can access your viewing history by tapping on the profile icon, selecting “Settings and privacy” then choosing “Content and activity.” Select “Watch history” to see the last 7 days worth of videos you have watched. This can be a great way to rediscover videos you forgot to like or share.
Check your account sounds
If the lost TikTok video had a sound or song that stood out to you, it may be saved in your account sounds. Go to your profile, choose “Settings and privacy” then tap on “Sounds.” This shows all of the sounds from videos you have liked or shared and allows you to search for specific music or audio. Find the sound from the video and you may rediscover the video in your likes or history.
Look in your effects gallery
In a similar way, if the TikTok video used a fun effect or filter you want to find again, you can browse your personal effects gallery. Go to your profile, select “Effects” and all of the augmented reality effects and filters from videos you have liked will be there. You may find the lost video this way if the effect really stood out to you.
Search through hashtags
If you recall any hashtags used with the lost TikTok video, search for them directly to help uncover the video. Popular hashtags like #fyp are very broad but if you remember more specific ones that were used, go to the Discover page and search for those. The video may appear especially if the hashtag is not as commonly used.
Look at your Google history
If you were watching TikTok videos on the web version, your Google history may have evidence of the lost video! Go to history.google.com on your desktop browser and search for tiktok.com or specific keywords related to the video. You may find the video back in your history if you had watched it from a web browser.
Reverse image search
If the lost TikTok video had a very distinctive visual or memorable frame, you can try reverse image searching for it. Use Google Images to upload a screenshot or use the camera to take a photo of the device playing the video. This search works better the more unique the visuals are. You may surface the video this way if the original poster shared it elsewhere.
Reach out to who shared it
If someone else shared the lost TikTok video with you originally, reach back out to them! Send them a message asking for them to resend or reshare the video with you. If you aren’t sure who originally shared it, think about who would have sent you that type of content and ask around. Getting back in touch with the original sender is often the most effective way to retrieve it.
Contact the creator
If you remember the original TikTok creator, you can try reaching out to them directly to ask about the lost video. Find their TikTok profile and send the user a message or comment on another video politely asking about the specific clip you are trying to find. Many creators are happy to help fans locate their old content.
Use TikTok’s search tools
TikTok has some powerful search features built right into the app to help uncover specific videos. On the Discover page use keywords related to the lost TikTok along with filters like people, hashtags, songs, effects, or duration. Get as specific as possible to narrow it down. You can also search by verbatim phrases in quotes that you distinctly remember.
Try video finder websites
There are various online TikTok video finder tools and websites you can use as well. Sites like TikTokFinder, TokFyZ, and FindTikTok allow you to search for videos by username, hashtag, sound, lyrics, link, etc. They crawl TikTok’s public data to index videos and make them discoverable. These can pull up lost videos you may not find in the app.
Look for reposts
Even if the original video is hard to find, you may be able to discover it reposted by another user. Search relevant hashtags, sounds, effects, etc. for any versions of the video that were dueted, stitched, or straight up reuploaded. Fans commonly repost viral content, so check for duplicates circulating on the platform.
Contact TikTok support
As a last resort, you can try reaching out to TikTok’s official support channels for assistance in tracking down a lost video. Send feedback through the app or reach out on Twitter to @TikTokSupport. Be as detailed as possible about the missing content. The support team may be able to dig up the video if they have enough details.
Losing a beloved TikTok video can be so frustrating, but using these tips can often help you retrieve it or find it reposted. With the right tools and some determined searching, you may be able to unearth that gem of a video that made you smile or taught you something new.
