TikTok is a popular short-form video app that allows users to create, share, and discover videos on any topic. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the world. The app offers a range of creative tools and effects that users can utilize to make entertaining short videos.
One unique feature on TikTok is the colored ring that sometimes appears around a user’s profile picture. While most profiles simply have a black ring, some users have noticed a blue ring around their profile photo. This has led many to wonder – what does the blue ring around your profile picture on TikTok mean?
Verification Badge
TikTok has a verification program for notable users that grants them a blue verification badge icon next to their username. As explained on TikTok’s Help Center, to qualify for verification the account must be public, have a completed profile, and meet TikTok’s criteria for being authentic, unique, complete, and notable [1]. Verified accounts stand out with a blue check mark badge icon that confirms their authenticity.
The blue ring around a TikTok user’s profile picture is different and separate from the official TikTok verification badge. The verification badge only appears beside the username, not around the profile photo. While verification status gives a blue checkmark, the blue ring has other meanings not related to account verification.
Live Indicator
The blue ring around a user’s profile picture indicates that they are currently live streaming on TikTok[1]. This blue ring will appear around a TikTok user’s profile photo whenever they are broadcasting a live video on the platform.
So when viewers see that blue circle surrounding a creator’s profile picture, it means that user is live at that very moment. The blue ring essentially serves as a “Live Now” indicator, letting people know that they can watch a livestream from that account if they tune in.
This allows profiles to display when they are streaming live content in real time. As soon as the broadcast ends, the blue ring disappears from around the user’s icon. So it is an at-a-glance way to see who is currently hosting live content versus normal videos on their channel.
Some compare it to the “red dot” notification on other social platforms. While those may indicate activity generally, TikTok’s blue ring serves specifically to denote a livestream being hosted right now. This can alert users to compelling content that is only available for a limited time before it disappears.
So if a TikTok creator wants to drive viewers to their live videos, going live when that blue ring is present around their photo is key. That is the indicator letting fans know it is time to tune in.
[1] https://www.tiktok.com/discover/How-to-get-a-blue-ring-around-your-pfp-during-videos?lang=en
New Account
Some sources indicate that the blue ring around a TikTok profile picture means the account is newly created. According to the TikTok article “How to get the blue ring around profile,” the blue ring appears around a profile picture for the first few days after a user creates their TikTok account.
This blue verification ring seems to be an indicator that the account is brand new. It helps identify new users on the platform. After approximately 3 days, the blue ring disappears as the account ages past the initial “new user” stage.
Active Status
One reason for the blue ring around a TikTok profile picture is to indicate the user is currently active on the app. This is similar to the “active status” feature found on other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. When enabled in settings, the blue ring signals a user has recently been using TikTok.
As explained on TikTok’s support page, the active status shows your mutual followers when you are actively using the app. If you follow someone and they also follow you back, you both may see when each other were last active or are currently active on TikTok.
The active status feature allows users to see when their friends are on TikTok at the same time. It provides a way to know when someone may be more likely to respond to comments or messages. However, as noted by TikTok, the active status is not always 100% accurate and may not update immediately when you open or close the app.
Profile Visits
One theory is the blue ring tracks profile visits. According to the TikTok Help Center, “You can turn on Profile view history in your settings to see which accounts on TikTok have viewed your profile. Only accounts that you follow back will be shown in your Profile view history.” https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/account-privacy-settings/tiktok-profile-visit-history
The blue ring appears after other users view someone’s profile, potentially indicating their interest or activity. As Android Police explains, “TikTok has a feature called Profile View History that tells you who has viewed your account, but it doesn’t work perfectly.” https://www.androidpolice.com/tiktok-profile-history-shows-who-viewed-account/
Post Interactions
Interactions on posts, such as likes, comments, and shares, can impact the appearance of a blue ring around a profile picture on TikTok. A high engagement rate on posts often leads to better distribution and reach in the TikTok algorithm 1. Post interactions serve as a form of feedback on how well content is resonating with viewers. A blue ring may signify that a user frequently creates engaging content that generates high levels of interaction.
Video Views
A blue ring around a TikTok profile picture can indicate that the account recently had high engagement on a video or is experiencing a surge in video views. This is often seen when a video goes viral and starts gaining a lot of traction. According to Tokcounter, “A blue ring means someone is getting unusually high views on a recent TikTok video.”1 When one video sees a spike in viewership, TikTok can display the blue ring notification to highlight the increased activity.
Essentially, the blue ring signifies important momentum is happening on the account in terms of video views. It’s a way for TikTok to show that a video is getting popular views beyond what is usual for that creator. However, it’s temporary and goes away after a day or two once the rush of new views stabilizes.
Testing
TikTok occasionally runs small tests of new features with select groups of users. The blue ring could be related to one of these tests. For example, TikTok has testing features like split testing in its ads manager to compare different ad versions.
Since the blue ring only appears for some users, it indicates TikTok may be A/B testing a new profile feature. The ring could be shown to a sample of users to gather data before rolling out more widely. Companies commonly use A/B tests to try out new designs, features or changes with a subset of users. The blue ring likely does not have a specific meaning yet, but is part of an experiment by TikTok.
No Meaning
Some claim the blue ring around a profile picture on TikTok is meaningless and just a design element without any real significance. There are some who believe the blue ring is simply an aesthetic choice made by TikTok and does not indicate anything specific about a user’s account or activity.
According to one source, “The blue ring is just a design feature on TikTok. It doesn’t have any special meaning associated with your profile or account status.” Some users have reported seeing the blue ring appear and disappear randomly, further suggesting it is not tied to any profile metrics.
Unless explicitly verified by TikTok as having a defined meaning, the blue ring should not be assumed to signify anything about a TikTok account. It seems to be a purely decorative element that likely does not imply anything about a user’s profile at this time.
