TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of September 2021. TikTok Statistics 2023 – Users, Usage, Trends and Facts. It allows users to create and share short videos, often set to music and focused on trends. Key to TikTok’s appeal is the ability to easily discover new content and creators.
Being able to search for other users and content on TikTok is very valuable. It allows you to find friends, brands, creators and hashtags you’re interested in more easily. You can discover new accounts to follow and watch content on topics you care about. Overall, TikTok’s search features help connect users to the content and creators most relevant to them.
Searching by Username
The easiest way to find a specific person on TikTok is to search for their exact username. To do this, open the TikTok app and tap on the search bar at the top. Type in the exact username you want to find and tap search. TikTok will show you a list of results – if that user exists, their profile will be the first result.
If you don’t know the exact username, there are a few tips for tracking it down:
- Ask the person directly if you can connect with them on TikTok and request their username
- Check their profiles on other social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter – sometimes people use the same username across multiple platforms
- Look at the usernames of people who have duetted or commented on that person’s videos
- Do a hashtag search of any unique hashtags they use in their videos
Once you find the exact username, do a search on TikTok to easily find that user’s profile.
Searching Hashtags and Sounds
Hashtags and sounds are a great way to discover new content and creators on TikTok that are relevant to your interests. TikTok’s search allows you to look up specific hashtags and sounds to find TikToks using them.
Some popular hashtags that people search include ##fyp, ##foryou, ##viral, and other trending hashtags like ##ootd or ##food. You can browse top hashtags or search for specific ones you’re interested in.
Popular sounds that get searched include trending song snippets, movie quotes, or meme sounds. Searching by a popular sound is a quick way to find creators using it in innovative ways.
Hashtags and sounds are constantly changing as new trends emerge on TikTok. Checking top charts and hashtags frequently can help you stay on top of the latest viral content.
Finding Friends from Other Social Networks
One way to find friends and other users you know on TikTok is by connecting your other social media accounts. TikTok allows you to find friends from your Instagram and Twitter networks.
To connect your Instagram account, go to your TikTok profile, tap the three-line menu icon, select “Settings and privacy,” then “Link accounts.” Tap Instagram and log in to your Instagram account. TikTok will then search your Instagram followers and people you follow and connect any TikTok accounts it finds associated with those Instagram accounts. You can then easily follow them directly within TikTok.
Similarly, you can link your Twitter account in the “Link accounts” section of settings. TikTok will search Twitter for any accounts following you or that you follow that have associated TikTok accounts. Those accounts will then show up in your TikTok “Friends” section for easy following.
Another option is to use your phone’s contacts. In your TikTok profile, tap “Add friends” and then “Find” next to the Contacts option. Allow TikTok access to your contacts and it will search for any TikTok accounts linked to the phone numbers in your address book. You can then directly follow those contacts with just a tap.
Location Search
You can use TikTok’s location search feature to find creators and trending content from specific geographic areas. This is helpful if your business targets a particular city, state, or country.
To search by location, tap the magnifying glass icon and select “Location” from the menu. You can then enter a city, landmark, or address to browse videos shot in that area. For example, searching “Paris” will showcase popular Parisian TikTokers and videos filmed around the city.
TikTok will display top videos under the “Top” tab, while the “Trending” tab shows locally trending content. The “Users” tab lets you discover creators based in that location. Their profiles often indicate the city they live in.
Browsing trending content in a specific place can reveal unique regional subcultures and creativity. You may come across interesting local dance trends, cuisine, slang words, comedy sketches, and more. It’s an opportunity to connect with communities beyond just targeting major cities.
According to https://www.shoplus.net/blogs/find-tiktok-influencers, brands can leverage location search to find relevant TikTok influencers in their geographic area to potentially partner with. A localized influencer marketing strategy can be highly effective.
Following Recommended Accounts
TikTok will recommend accounts for you to follow based on your interests and what you engage with on the platform. The For You feed is tailored to you and suggests creators based on the content you like and interact with. TikTok’s recommendation algorithm tracks the hashtags, sounds, and videos you engage with most to find similar content and accounts you may want to follow (source).
When you engage with certain types of content frequently in the For You feed, such as cooking videos or dance challenges, TikTok takes note. It will then recommend accounts that often post that type of content. This helps you discover new accounts and creators that align with your interests and viewing habits on TikTok.
Searching Videos
One of the most common uses of TikTok’s search function is to find videos on specific topics. You can search for videos using keywords that describe what you’re looking for. For example, searching “dance tutorial” will show you videos related to dance tutorials.
When searching videos, TikTok will also pull up content based on the sounds, hashtags, or creators used in the video. So you can find certain types of videos by searching for a popular sound or hashtag like #dance or a famous creator’s username.
According to TikTok’s help center, when you tap the search bar you can enter keywords, usernames, hashtags, or sounds to find videos. Make your searches as specific as possible using relevant keywords to find the kinds of videos you want to watch.
Using Suggested Users
One way to find new accounts on TikTok is by using the Suggested Users feature. TikTok’s algorithm analyzes your activity and interests to recommend accounts you may want to follow. The app suggests accounts “based on videos you like, accounts you interact with, and more” according to TikTok’s help center.
You can access Suggested Users by tapping the discover icon on the bottom toolbar. This will bring up the Discover page where you’ll see a list of recommended accounts to follow. TikTok refreshes these suggestions regularly based on your evolving interests and engagement.
Browsing through the Suggested Users is a quick way to find new creators that are relevant to your tastes. You can scroll through the list and tap “Follow” on any accounts that catch your eye. Over time, the quality of TikTok’s recommendations tends to improve as the algorithm learns more about your preferences. Following Suggested Users is an easy way to expand who you see on your For You feed and discover new creators on TikTok.
However, some users have privacy concerns about how TikTok surfaces these recommendations, especially when they include people you may know in real life. TikTok’s algorithm can detect connections between users in order to serve up relevant suggestions.
Finding Verified Accounts
One way to discover popular verified accounts is to browse TikTok’s Suggested Users list. TikTok’s algorithm recommends accounts you may want to follow based on your interests. Many top creators and celebrities will show up in Suggested Users.
You can also search by keywords like “verified” or click on the verified badge icon from another user’s profile to find more verified accounts. The verified badge icon looks like a blue checkmark.
According to TikTok’s newsroom, “A verified badge means that TikTok has confirmed the account belongs to the user it represents. It appears next to a TikTok user’s account name on their profile.”
Verification is TikTok’s way of establishing authenticity and letting you know an account is genuine. Some requirements for getting verified include having an authentic, complete profile, being notable or a public figure in some way, and having a unique account username without special characters.
Conclusion
There are many ways to search for specific users and profiles on TikTok. The main methods include searching by username, using hashtags or sounds associated with a user, finding friends from other platforms like Instagram or Facebook, searching by location, checking the recommended accounts, looking through videos, utilizing the “Suggested Users” section, and locating verified accounts.
Some additional tips for searching profiles and users on TikTok:
- Try different keyword variations of a username if you can’t find someone immediately.
- Browse by sounds and hashtags related to someone’s niche or content type to uncover similar accounts.
- Use the Discover tab to find accounts tailored to your interests.
- Check the Following and Followers lists of accounts you already follow for recommendations.
- Toggle between seeing just videos and profiles when searching hashtags to uncover more users.
- Utilize location pages and tags to connect with creators in your area.
With some creativity and persistence, you can find almost any type of user or profile on TikTok. Just keep experimenting with the various search functions available.
