TikTok is a popular short-form video app that has exploded in popularity in recent years. The app allows users to create and share short videos set to music, often using lip-syncing or dancing. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance and was launched internationally in 2017 after merging with musical.ly. It quickly became one of the most downloaded apps globally.
One of TikTok’s key features for discovering new content was the Discover page. This page highlighted trending hashtags, sounds, and videos across the platform. It allowed users to easily browse through emerging trends and find new videos and creators to follow. The Discover page played a major role in TikTok’s growth by facilitating content discovery and community interaction.
The Original Discover Page
The original Discover page on TikTok looked like a grid of trending videos and hashtags that users could scroll through to find new content and creators to follow. According to Fanbytes, the Discover page showed trending hashtags, sounds, and effects that were popular on the platform. Tapping on a hashtag or trend would take users to a page showing TikToks using that hashtag or trend.
The main purpose of the Discover page was to help users find new short-form videos and creators outside of their main For You feed. As described on TikTok’s support site, the Discover page allowed exploring videos by category or interest. It provided an easy way for people to browse emerging trends and expand beyond just the content promoted by TikTok’s recommendation algorithm.
Changes to the Algorithm
In early 2020, TikTok made significant changes to its discovery algorithm that impacted how users find and view content on the platform. According to sources like this video, TikTok adjusted its algorithm to prioritize accounts that users actively follow, rather than just promoting any popular content.
Previously, TikTok’s main “For You” page algorithmically pushed a wide variety of trending videos to keep users engaged. But after the change, TikTok shifted to predominantly show content from accounts that users choose to follow, similar to Instagram or Facebook. This altered the discovery experience, requiring users to actively follow creators in order to regularly see their content.
Sources indicate the algorithm change was likely intended to incentivize users to follow more accounts, increase user engagement through improved personalization, reduce the reach of inappropriate viral content, and give creators more ownership over reaching their audience.
Emphasis on Following
In late 2020, TikTok began shifting the app’s focus towards a following-based experience rather than content discovery through the For You page. As described in an article on SocialMediaToday, “TikTok wanted to ensure that the app provided more visibility to the content being posted by accounts that users chose to follow, rather than just displaying videos based on assumed relevance, which had been the key driver of the For You feed.”1
This meant that videos from followed accounts would be more prominent in users’ feeds. TikTok wanted to prioritize a following-based experience, like Instagram or Twitter, rather than solely personalized recommendations. According to Digiday, “The For You page will still be a big part of TikTok, but this increased emphasis on following aims to encourage users to actively curate their feeds.”2
This shift gave creators more reach over their core audience. But it also meant that new and smaller creators had fewer chances of going viral among non-followers. Overall, TikTok wanted to provide more control to users in shaping their feed experience.
The For You Page
In early 2020, TikTok began testing changes to its content discovery features by rolling out a “For You” tab on the app, effectively replacing the Discover page (Source). The For You page is TikTok’s main feed of recommended videos based on users’ interests and engagement. It uses complex algorithms to personalize an endless stream of content for each user.
According to TikTok, the Discover page was not as useful in helping users find new creators and content. The For You page became the primary method of content discovery, using signals like user interactions, video information, device and account settings to recommend relevant content (Source). By fully integrating the For You feed in place of a separate Discover tab, TikTok aimed to improve the content discovery experience.
Effects on Content Discovery
The changes to TikTok’s algorithm have significantly impacted users’ ability to discover new creators and content. Previously, the Discover page allowed users to browse popular hashtags and sounds as well as curated video collections, making it easy to find new accounts to follow. However, the Discover page was removed in early 2022 as TikTok shifted focus to its For You page recommendations.
With the demise of the Discover page, discovery now happens primarily through the For You feed which is personalized to each user based on their watch history, likes, comments, and other signals (Hootsuite). This means the algorithm will mainly show you content similar to what you already engage with, making it harder to stumble upon new creators or content outside your known interests.
Many users have complained that their For You feeds feel repetitive and echo chamber-like, with the same accounts and content types surfacing over and over. While TikTok says its recommendations aim to balance introducing novelty along with relevance, creators say it has become much tougher for new accounts to get discovered since the Discover page was removed.
Criticism from Creators
Many TikTok creators have voiced frustration and criticism about changes to the app’s algorithm that they feel has led to a drop in views and engagement on their content.
In recent years, TikTok has shifted away from the original Discover page that surfaced new and trending creators, towards an algorithmic For You feed personalized to each user. This has made it much harder for creators to get discovered by new audiences organically (Source).
Whereas previously a creator’s content would regularly go viral and reach millions of views, now many feel frustrated that even their best videos struggle to break 10,000 views. There is a feeling that the algorithm has become less creator-friendly, making it exponentially harder to grow an audience (Source).
Many creators have complained on forums like Reddit that the app seems to arbitrarily limit the reach of their content, stifling organic discovery. There is a sense that you now have to “game the algorithm” through things like trend-jacking to have a chance at going viral.
TikTok’s Responses
TikTok explained that the changes to the Discover page were intended to provide a more personalized experience for users. In a statement, TikTok said the Discover page was being replaced by the Friends tab in order “to help you discover content you’ll love and directly connect with the people closest to you.”
The Friends tab surfaces content from people you follow, allowing you to easily stay updated on their latest videos. TikTok believes focusing recommendations on followed accounts will lead to a better experience than the more random Discover page.
Additionally, TikTok pointed out that the For You page continues to showcase content from across the platform based on users’ interests. So while the Discover page is gone, users can still find new creators and content through algorithmic recommendations.
Looking to the Future
While TikTok has not provided details on any future changes to content discovery, there are some possibilities based on the app’s evolution so far.
One potential change according to social media experts is bringing back a revamped Discover page that is more personalized and relevant to each user’s interests (Source). This could allow better content discovery while still emphasizing the For You page.
TikTok may also develop new ways for creators to be discovered beyond just the For You page algorithm. Tools like more effective hashtags, topic channels, or influencer recommendations could help users find new creators to follow (Source).
Some analysts predict TikTok will leverage its ownership by ByteDance to integrate artificial intelligence for recommending content and accounts. This could allow a hybrid approach between an algorithmic For You page and more curated content discovery (Source).
While the future is uncertain, TikTok appears committed to improving content discovery in a way that keeps users engaged. More changes are likely on the horizon as TikTok evolves.
Conclusion
In summary, TikTok removed the Discover page in mid-2022 as part of an algorithm update aimed at tailoring the app experience to each user’s interests and likes. This change prioritized the For You feed over content discovery and placed greater emphasis on following creators directly. While this shift aligned with TikTok’s goals, it faced criticism from some users and creators who relied on the Discover page to find new content. The removal impacted organic reach for creators and made it harder for niche interests to be discovered. TikTok maintained that the algorithmic feed would suffice, though some argue more transparency and tools are needed. It remains to be seen how TikTok will continue evolving content discovery and if any alternatives to the Discover page emerge. Ultimately, the disappearance of the Discover page marked a notable change in how users navigate TikTok, with personalized recommendations now the main avenue for content exposure.
