Searching for a user on TikTok allows you to view their profile, videos, and other public content. When you search for someone, you’ll be able to see information like their follower count, bio, and posts without needing to follow them. Searching does not notify the user or give them any indication that you looked up their profile.
How to Search for a User on TikTok
There are a few different ways to search for someone on TikTok:
- Tap the search bar at the top of the TikTok app and type in their username, full name, or nickname.
- Go to the Discover page and tap the search bar. Again, type in their name or username.
- If you’re on someone’s profile, tap their username at the top of their page. This will take you to a page with their username and a Follow button.
TikTok will display results based on the name, username, or term you searched. Tap on the user you’re looking for to open their profile.
What You Can See When Searching Someone
When you search for a user on TikTok and land on their profile, here are some of the key things you’ll be able to view:
- Username: This is displayed at the top of their profile.
- Profile photo: You can see their current profile picture.
- Bio: This short description gives info about who they are.
- Followers and following count: See how many followers they have and how many accounts they follow.
- Videos: Scroll down to watch some of their recently posted videos.
- Liked videos: Tap the heart icon to see videos they’ve liked.
- Posted content: View all videos, captions, hashtags, and more that they’ve shared.
Essentially, searching a TikTok user gives you access to all of the content they’ve decided to make public. Their private videos, messages, and any other non-public information will not be visible.
Differences Between Searching Friends vs. Strangers
Searching for a friend gives you access to a bit more of their TikTok presence than searching a stranger does. Here are some key differences:
- For friends, you may see some videos that are only visible to followers.
- You can tap “Following” for friends to quickly access videos from accounts they also follow.
- There may be more suggested accounts and videos since TikTok knows you have a connection.
- You have the option to message friends directly from their profile.
When you search someone you don’t already follow, you’re limited to only their fully public info and videos. You won’t see anything meant just for their followers.
What the User Can’t See
One key thing to know is that when you search for someone on TikTok, they have no way of knowing that you looked them up. Your search does not show up for them in any way, unlike some other social media platforms. Specifically:
- They won’t get a notification that you viewed their profile.
- They can’t see that you searched for them at all.
- It won’t suggest their account to follow or add as a friend.
- You remain totally anonymous unless you engage with their content.
You’re able to search as much as you want without the user ever knowing, unless you like, comment, or follow them after viewing their profile.
Finding Videos Someone is Tagged or Mentioned In
Along with viewing the videos posted directly to someone’s own profile, you can also find videos that they are tagged or mentioned in by other users.
When on their profile, tap on the 3-dot menu next to “Follow” and choose “Find videos with [username].” This will show you:
- Duets where the user reacts or responds to someone else’s video.
- Stitch videos that include a clip from the user’s video.
- Videos where the user is tagged in the caption or comments.
- Any other videos from other users that mention the profile you searched.
This gives you another way to see the user’s presence on TikTok beyond just their own uploaded content.
Finding Deleted or Former Usernames
If someone has changed their TikTok username or deleted their account, searching the old username will yield no results:
- An error message will appear saying “Couldn’t find this account.”
- The account no longer exists or has been changed.
- Even if you still have an old link saved, it will not work.
The only way to find that user again is if you still follow them under their new username, or know their new name to search.
Troubleshooting Search Problems
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you’re having issues searching for a specific user on TikTok:
- Double check the spelling – it must be exact.
- Try alternate name spellings or nicknames.
- Use just first or last name instead of full name.
- Attempt different username variations.
- Make sure your app is updated.
- Check your internet connection.
- Try searching on TikTok’s website if the app fails.
If none of those steps work, it’s possible the user has changed their username, deleted their account, or made their profile private. There is no way to find a user that has gone private or removed their account.
Is There Anywhere on TikTok That Shows Who Viewed Your Profile?
Unlike other social platforms, TikTok does not have any feature that shows who has visited your profile. There is currently no way to see who has searched for you, viewed your videos, or interacted with your account in any way unless they follow you or comment/like your content.
Some reasons TikTok doesn’t show profile views include:
- To encourage more genuine engagement rather than viewing profiles just to be seen.
- To maintain user privacy and anonymity.
- To avoid bombarding users with notifications.
- To focus the experience on video content instead of social connections.
While some users wish they could see profile views, the anonymity helps users freely search and watch videos without feeling pressured to connect.
Can You See Who Someone Follows or Messages?
TikTok also keeps follows and messages private and anonymous even when searching someone’s profile:
- You can’t see the specific users that someone follows.
- You can’t view any of their private messages.
- You can’t tell if they follow you back or have visited your profile.
- You can only see the total number of accounts they follow.
Again, this allows users to control what information they make public. Private connections and conversations remain anonymous.
In Summary
Searching for someone on TikTok gives you access to all of their public videos, likes, profile info, and tags/mentions by others. You remain anonymous and they won’t receive any notifications. However, private details like followers, messages, and profile views are not visible. Overall, searching provides a way to explore someone’s public TikTok presence while respecting their privacy.