TikTok lets you share your location in your videos and control who can see where your videos were recorded. Location settings allow you to decide if you want to keep your location private or share it with your followers and the wider TikTok community. Here’s what you need to know about how TikTok uses location data and how to manage your location settings.
Does TikTok Use My Location?
Yes, TikTok accesses your location data to provide location-based features in the app. When you record a new video in the TikTok app, your location is automatically saved unless you have location access disabled for TikTok.
With location access enabled, the name of the city, state, or country where you recorded your video will be displayed under your username when posting the video. People who view your video will see this location tag.
TikTok uses your location to personalize your feed with trending videos and sounds from your area. Location is also used to connect you with other local users and events nearby.
You can control whether or not your precise location is attached to your videos in your privacy settings. But even with location disabled, TikTok will estimate your general location based on your IP address and other contextual signals.
Why Does TikTok Use Location Data?
TikTok uses your location for the following purposes:
- Personalize your feed – Show you trending content from your area.
- Connect you with a local audience – Help viewers and creators in your area find and follow each other.
- Suggest events – Notify you about live streams, meets ups, and other events near your current location.
- Target ads – Allow advertisers to target ads based on your city or region.
Location data provides important context that helps TikTok show you the most relevant content. It also enables geographic targeting for advertising.
How to Find Your Location Settings
To manage your TikTok location settings:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on the “Me” tab in the bottom right.
- Tap on the three horizontal line menu icon in the top right corner.
- Choose “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
- Select “Privacy” from the settings menu.
- Tap on “Location” to see your options.
Here you can enable or disable location access, choose who can see your location tags, and control location history.
Location Access
The “Location access” setting allows you to turn off access to your device’s location completely. With this disabled, your videos will not have a location tag.
To disable location access:
- Go to Privacy Settings > Location.
- Toggle “Location access” off.
When location access is off, your precise location will not be attached to any videos you post. However, TikTok may still estimate your general region to personalize content.
Location Tag Visibility
The “Location tag visibility” setting lets you choose who can view the location tags on your videos – either everyone or just you.
To limit location tag visibility:
- Go to Privacy Settings > Location.
- Tap “Location tag visibility.”
- Select “Only me” to hide your location tags from others.
With this setting, the location below your videos will only be visible to you. Other people will not see where your videos were recorded.
Location History
TikTok keeps a history of the specific locations attached to your videos. You can delete this location history.
To clear your location history:
- Go to Privacy Settings > Location.
- Tap “Location history.”
- Tap “Delete all history” to permanently erase your video location history.
Clearing your location history does not remove current location tags, only the stored history. New locations will continue being added as you post new videos.
How Private Is My Location on TikTok?
TikTok states that your location data is stored securely and only shared with certain parties:
- Third-party partners who help provide and improve TikTok’s services
- Legal or government requests
- To prevent harm or financial loss
According to TikTok, aggregated location data may also be shared publicly to show overall trends and usage patterns. However, they claim that individual user data will remain private.
Still, there are risks associated with sharing location that users should be aware of. Even if you limit visibility, there is a chance your location could be exposed, shared online, or hacked.
Should I Disable TikTok Location Access?
Here are some pros and cons of disabling TikTok location access:
Pros:
- Increased privacy and control over your data
- Avoid showing strangers, employers, etc. your locations
- Limit location-based targeted advertising
Cons:
- Lose out on location-specific video trends and challenges
- Harder to connect with local viewers and creators
- Miss out on events and meetups in your area
In general, disabling location services minimizes privacy risks. But it also takes away some of the benefits of a location-aware experience.
A good middle ground is to leave location access on for TikTok but restrict visibility of your location tags. This allows TikTok to customize your feed while only you can see where your videos are recorded.
Other Ways to Protect Location Privacy
In addition to toggling your location settings, here are some other tips to keep your location private on TikTok:
- Avoid recording videos with identifiable landmarks or signs in the background.
- Consider using a VPN to mask your true location.
- Be cautious about linking your TikTok account with other social media that may reveal your location.
- Review the audience and privacy level before posting potentially sensitive videos.
It’s also a good idea to use privacy settings that limit your videos to followers only or even just yourself until you are ready to share them more publicly.
Location Settings for Parents
For parents concerned about location tracking with their kids using TikTok, there are a few options:
- Require your child to disable location services for TikTok through their device settings.
- Use TikTok’s Family Pairing feature to fully disable location tagging abilities.
- Frequently check their TikTok privacy settings and location tags.
- Educate kids about posting identifiable locations and landmarks.
It’s important to have open conversations about privacy risks and proper social media use. But technical controls like Family Pairing provide the most effective protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fake or change my TikTok location?
There is no built-in way to manually edit the location on your TikTok videos. Location tags are automatically generated based on your device location or IP address at the time of posting.
Using a VPN connection can potentially spoof your location to another city or country. Some users also claim changing their device’s region settings can update the location in older videos.
Why can I still see location tags on private videos?
Setting a video to private only limits who can view that video. It does not affect the location tag. To hide location, you need to disable location services or tags in your privacy settings.
Can I see someone’s location history?
No, location history is private to each user’s account. The only way to see where another user’s videos were recorded is through the location tags, if they have them enabled.
Even with location services on, users must individually enable visibility for others to see location tags on their videos.
The Bottom Line
TikTok accesses your location to provide a tailored, geographic experience – but you have controls over how your location data is shared. Disable location services completely or restrict visibility to protect your privacy. But be aware this can limit location-based recommendations and interactions.
Review your privacy settings, be cautious when filming identifiable locations, and consider tools like VPNs for more control. With the right settings, you can enjoy a personalized local TikTok experience while minimizing location tracking concerns.
