TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. With so many users, it can be difficult to find specific people’s accounts if you don’t already follow them or know their exact username. Luckily, TikTok offers a few different ways to search for accounts by name if you only know the person’s actual name.
Searching on TikTok
The easiest way to find someone’s TikTok account by their name is to use the search bar on TikTok. Here are the steps:
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile device or access TikTok through your web browser.
- Tap on the search bar at the top of the screen. It looks like a magnifying glass icon.
- Type in the full name of the person whose account you want to find. For example “John Smith”.
- As you type, a dropdown menu will appear showing account suggestions based on the name you entered. Tap on the name of the account you are searching for if it appears.
- If the name doesn’t automatically populate, hit enter to run the search. This will show all accounts and videos related to that name.
- Scroll through the results and tap on any accounts that match the name of the person you are looking for. Make sure to check the username and bio info to confirm it is the right account.
- Once you find the correct account, tap on the follow button next to their name if you want to follow them.
Searching directly on TikTok is the fastest way to find an account by name. The search algorithm will try to match the name you enter to account handles, usernames, and profile information to surface the most relevant results.
Using the Suggested and Contacts Search Tools
In addition to the main search bar, TikTok also offers two other specialized search features that can help you find accounts by name:
Suggested
The suggested search tool provides recommendations of accounts you may know based on accounts you already follow as well as your video likes and comments. Here’s how to use it:
- Go to your profile page in the TikTok app.
- Tap on the search bar as if you were going to search normally.
- At the top of the dropdown menu you will see a section called “Suggested”.
- Tap on “Suggested” to open the full tab.
- Scroll down to browse the list of suggested accounts.
- If any of the suggestions match the name of the account you’re looking for, tap on the name to open the account profile.
The suggested tool can be helpful for finding accounts of friends, family, co-workers, celeberties and other acquaintances that TikTok thinks you might know based on your existing network.
Contacts
If the person you are searching for is already in your phone’s contact list, you can cross-reference your contacts with TikTok accounts. Here’s how it works:
- Open the search dropdown in the TikTok app.
- Tap on “Contacts” at the top of the menu.
- You will be prompted to allow TikTok to access your phone contacts. Tap “Allow” to continue.
- TikTok will automatically search your contacts and show any matches with existing TikTok accounts.
- Tap on the name of the account match you are looking for to open their profile.
This is an easy shortcut if you already have the contact info of the person saved in your phone. If no accounts show up it means none of your contacts have associated TikTok profiles.
Searching by Username
If searching directly by name doesn’t turn up the account you want, another option is to search using a person’s TikTok username. Here is how to find accounts by username:
- Go to the TikTok search bar and tap to open it.
- Type “@” without the quotes followed immediately by the person’s username.
- For example: @johnssmith123
- Hit enter to run the search.
- The top result should be the account associated with that exact username, if the account exists.
- Tap on the account icon and name to open up the profile page and confirm it is the person you were looking for.
Searching by the full unique username is the most direct way to find a specific account, provided you know the exact handle. Usernames on TikTok must be unique and will lead you right to someone’s profile.
Using Google Search
If the TikTok platform search isn’t working, Google can also be helpful for tracking down a TikTok account by name. Here are the steps for searching on Google:
- Go to Google.com in your web browser or open the Google app on your smartphone.
- In the search bar, type the person’s full name in quotation marks followed by “TikTok”.
- For example: “John Smith TikTok”
- This will tell Google to specifically search for pages and results related to that name on TikTok.
- Tap enter to run the search.
- Scan through the Google results for any pages, profiles or listings that mention the name you searched + TikTok.
- Click on any relevant links and see if they lead directly to the person’s TikTok account profile.
Finding accounts through a Google search takes a bit more effort, but can occasionally surface profiles that you may not find on TikTok directly. Use Google as a supplemental search option if needed.
Looking Up Friends on TikTok
TikTok has also launched a specific feature to help you find the accounts of your real-world friends and contacts all in one place. Here is how it works:
- Open up TikTok and tap the “Me” tab on the bottom.
- Tap on the Friends icon on the top-right of the screen.
- You will see two options:
- Find Friends – Connect your contacts or social media to find friends from those platforms who also use TikTok.
- Invite Friends – Send invites via text or email to suggest friends join TikTok if they don’t have an account already.
- Tap “Find Friends” and follow the steps to connect your contacts or third party social media accounts.
- TikTok will automatically search for any contacts who also have TikTok accounts.
- Any matches will show up on your Friends list so you can easily find and follow them on TikTok.
The Friends feature provides an easy one-stop place to find the TikTok accounts of all your contacts who use the app. It’s great for discovering accounts of family, friends, co-workers and others in your close circle.
Finding Verified Accounts
If you are trying to find the official TikTok account of a celebrity, public figure, brand or business, look for a verified account. Here’s how to find verified profiles:
- Search for the name of the person, brand or entity you want to find like normal.
- When you see account results, look for a blue “Verified” checkmark icon next to the profile name.
- Tap on the verified profile to open it and confirm it is the official account.
- The bio description will also usually indicate it is the real public figure or brand page.
- Follow the verified profile so you can easily access it later from your Following list.
Verified accounts are the only way to ensure you have found the legitimate profile on TikTok for any public entities and brands. Knowing how to identify verified accounts can help prevent you from following fake impersonator profiles.
What to Do If You Can’t Find the Account
Despite your best searching efforts, sometimes you just aren’t able to track down a TikTok account by name. Here are some tips if you can’t find a profile:
- Double check the spelling – Try alternate spellings of names and usernames to cover all bases.
- Search on other platforms – Look for the person on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc to try to find their TikTok handle.
- Ask friends if they follow them – Friends may already know the exact TikTok username you need.
- Check if the account is private – You won’t be able to view or find private accounts you don’t already follow.
- Consider if they don’t use TikTok – Not everyone uses the platform, so the person may not have an account at all.
If you still can’t locate the TikTok account through extensive searching, the person may not have a profile, or may prefer to keep it private. Continue following their other social media or contact them directly to find out their TikTok handle if you need it.
Tips for Easier Account Searching
Use these tips to improve your odds of finding TikTok accounts by name in the future:
- Ask people for their exact TikTok username when possible to avoid searching later.
- Follow friends, family and contacts to more easily find their accounts in your Following list.
- Note down usernames you want to remember so you have them saved for later.
- Enable permissions for TikTok to access your contacts to use Contacts search.
- Connect your other social media accounts to TikTok to improve Suggested results.
- Use unique names or usernames on your own TikTok profile to make it easier to find.
Saving profile handles when possible and building your network on TikTok will set you up for account searching success in the future.
Can’t Find an Account? Ask TikTok Support
If you still are unable to locate a specific TikTok account after trying all the search methods, you can also contact TikTok support directly for assistance. Here’s how:
- Open your TikTok app and go to your profile.
- Tap the three-line menu button in the upper-right corner.
- Choose “Support” from the menu options.
- Select the “Contact Us” tab.
- Choose your issue category as “Account” and subcategory as “Finding an account”.
- Explain which account you are trying to find and why in the details.
- Confirm your email address.
- Tap submit to send your inquiry to TikTok.
The TikTok support team may be able to use internal tools and resources to help track down an account that you can’t find through public search. Reach out to them as a last resort option if needed.
Stalking and Harassment Are Prohibited
While TikTok offers tools to find other accounts, it’s important to note that stalking, harassment and unwanted attention are strictly prohibited. Only search for accounts you have legitimate reason to interact with. Some additional guidelines include:
- Don’t search extensively for accounts that don’t want to interact with you.
- Respect when someone denies a follow request or doesn’t reciprocate interest.
- Don’t use account info for purposes outside of TikTok without permission.
- Report suspicious behavior and violations to keep the platform safe.
Finding a TikTok account does not give free rein to invade someone’s privacy or digitally harass them. Operate respectfully and close profiles that make you uncomfortable.
Finding TikTok Accounts Safely and Responsibly
TikTok provides powerful account lookup options, but they must be utilized properly. Only search for accounts you have a valid reason to interact with. Avoid stalking or harassing others, and be mindful of your digital footprint. Maintain your own privacy and security by keeping personal details off public profiles. With wise searching and safe social practices, TikTok can provide an enriching app experience for all.
