When you open the TikTok app, the default view shows you the newest and most relevant videos based on TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. However, there are ways to sort the videos to show the newest or oldest videos first. Here’s how to sort TikTok videos by newest or oldest.
Sorting TikTok Videos
TikTok doesn’t have explicit sorting options like “newest” or “oldest” videos. However, there are some tricks you can use to view the newest or oldest videos on your feed.
View Newest Videos
To view the newest videos on TikTok:
- Open the TikTok app on your iOS or Android device.
- Tap the discover icon at the bottom to access the Explore feed.
- This will show you the most recent, popular videos being posted by creators you don’t already follow.
The Explore feed is the best way to see the newest videos on TikTok from across the platform. It excludes videos from people you follow and is sorted chronologically to surface fresh, trending content.
View Oldest Videos
There’s no direct way to view the oldest videos on TikTok globally. However, you can view the oldest videos posted by a specific user or under a specific hashtag or sound.
To view the oldest videos from a user:
- Go to their profile page
- Tap on the Videos tab
- Scroll down as far as you can to load their first ever posted videos
To view the oldest videos under a hashtag or sound:
- Search for the hashtag or sound on TikTok
- Tap into the page for that hashtag or sound
- Scroll down as far as you can to load the first videos posted using it
Scrolling through a user, hashtag, or sound feed will show you the videos in reverse chronological order, with the oldest videos at the very bottom as long as you scroll down far enough.
How the TikTok Feed Works
Understanding how TikTok’s feeds work can help explain why there’s no universal “oldest videos” feed.
For You Feed
The For You feed is the default feed when you open TikTok. It shows you videos based on TikTok’s recommendation system, not in chronological order. TikTok surfaces videos here it thinks you’ll be most interested in, regardless of posting date, based on your interactions over time.
Following Feed
The Following feed shows you the latest videos from creators you follow in chronological order. So you’ll see newest-to-oldest videos here, but only from accounts you follow.
Hashtag and Sound Pages
When you view a hashtag or branded sound page, the videos are shown in order of popularity and relevance, not by posting date. TikTok surfaces videos it thinks are trending or most interesting first. You have to scroll down a long way to get to the oldest videos using that hashtag or sound.
User Profiles
Video feeds on user profiles do show videos in reverse chronological order, with the newest at the top and oldest at the bottom. So this is the best way to view a specific user’s oldest content.
Why There’s No Universal Oldest Videos Feed
TikTok is designed to show you the most engaging, relevant videos tailored for you, not simply display videos in chronological order. The default feeds like For You and hashtags/sounds emphasize popular, timely videos. But you can still view oldest videos in specific contexts like user profiles.
Some reasons there’s no universal “oldest videos” feed include:
- Emphasizing relevance over chronology keeps people engaged
- Older, outdated videos may not align with current trends
- Showing only timely popular videos better caters to most users
- Oldest videos likely have lower quality as creators were still learning
- TikTok’s core audience expects to see fresh, buzzworthy videos
While it takes some scrolling, you can still seek out older videos for nostalgia or to see how creators have evolved. But TikTok will likely keep prioritizing relevance in its feeds to match user expectations.
Tips for Finding Old Favorites
If you want to re-find old videos you enjoyed, here are some tips:
- Follow your favorite creators so their videos appear in your Following feed chronologically
- Like or comment on videos you want to be able to find again later
- Tap the share icon to share the video to yourself for future access
- Bookmark videos into collections to organize favorites
- Search for specific words or sounds you remember
TikTok makes it easy to save, organize, and re-find videos you enjoyed. Relying on feeds sorted purely by oldest videos can make rediscovering old favorites tedious. But using TikTok’s built-in tools can help you save and share your favorite throwback videos.
Finding Hidden Gems in Old Videos
While TikTok feeds emphasize the popular videos of-the-moment, digging into older videos on a hashtag or user page can reveal some hidden gems, like:
- Lesser-known creators before they got big
- Trends, memes, or sounds before they went viral
- Videos showcasing how much a creator has evolved and improved
Searching by specific niche hashtags can surface forgotten subcultures and trends. And revisiting your favorite creator’s oldest videos lets you see how far they’ve come. So don’t ignore the old videos – dive deep and you may uncover some soon-to-be viral hits or tomorrow’s big stars.
Conclusion
TikTok prioritizes showing you the most relevant, engaging videos over displaying content in strict chronological order. But you can still view a user’s oldest videos in their profile, or scroll down on hashtags and sounds to find first uploads using them. While not optimized for it, rediscovering TikTok’s oldest videos can provide some nostalgia and hidden gems you may have missed.
