Many new TikTok users are frustrated when they try to follow other accounts, only to get a message saying they’ve reached a limit. This prevents them from fully engaging with the platform and connecting with other creators. TikTok enforces certain restrictions on new accounts as an anti-spam measure to maintain trust and safety. However, these limits can be restrictive for genuine users looking to grow their presence. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to meet the requirements faster and start following more people. With a bit of patience and the right strategy, you’ll be able to build your network and enhance your TikTok experience.
TikTok’s Anti-Spam Measures
TikTok has implemented various limits on actions like following to help prevent spammy behavior and maintain a high-quality experience on the platform. According to an article on Planly, TikTok restricts new users from performing excessive follows, comments, likes, and other engagement in a short period of time. This is to curb automated bots and mass spamming techniques that can degrade the user experience.
TikTok specifically limits how many accounts a new user can follow per day and per hour. As explained in an article on Medium, these anti-spam limits make it harder for fake accounts to amass large followings quickly and artificially inflate popularity.
Overall, TikTok’s various limits on follows, likes, comments, and other actions are safety measures to maintain an authentic, spam-free platform as usership grows exponentially.
Requirements to Follow Others
TikTok has implemented certain requirements that new accounts need to meet before being able to freely follow other users. This is to prevent spam accounts from abusing the platform. Some of the main requirements include:
Your account must be at least one day old. New accounts are limited in how many people they can follow per day during the first 24 hours. After a day passes, you’ll have more freedom.
Your profile needs to be completed. TikTok wants to ensure real people are behind accounts, so you’ll need to add profile details like a profile photo, bio, username, etc. Incomplete profiles are restricted.
You need a certain amount of followers/followings. TikTok limits new accounts until they build up some connections on the platform. Gaining a few real followers helps prove you aren’t spam.
You need to have posted at least one video. Uploading original content helps show you plan to contribute value to TikTok as a creator.
In general, be patient and engage genuinely with other users at first. TikTok’s limits are designed to lift over time as you become an established member.
Tips to Meet Requirements Faster
There are a few things new TikTok users can do to meet the requirements to start following others more quickly:
- Add a profile photo – TikTok is more likely to lift restrictions faster if you have a profile photo rather than the default gray silhouette.
- Fill out your bio – Take the time to write a short, engaging bio for your profile. This shows TikTok you plan on using the account legitimately.
- Post original videos – Posting your own videos helps prove you are a real person and not a spam bot. Aim to post at least 3-5 videos in the first couple days.
- Use relevant hashtags – Use popular hashtags related to your content to help get more views and followers organically. This signals normal use to TikTok.
- Engage with others – Like, comment on, duet, and stitch other popular TikToks in your feed. Legitimately engaging helps lift limits.
Implementing these tips, such as filling out your profile and posting original content, can help new users get past initial restrictions faster so they can start following others within the first few days of using TikTok.
Contacting TikTok Support
If you are consistently hitting your daily follow limit and want to request TikTok to increase it, you can contact TikTok support directly. According to this article, there are a few options to submit requests for help with follow limits:
- In the TikTok app, go to your profile and tap the 3-dot menu in the top right. Choose “Report a Problem” and select “Other” as the issue type. Explain your request for a higher follow limit.
- On TikTok’s website, visit the Help Center and search for follow limits. Click “Contact Us” and fill out the form, detailing your request.
- On Twitter, you can tweet @TikTokSupport to bring awareness and ask for assistance. However, submitting an official request via the app or Help Center is more likely to get results.
According to this guide, be patient as it may take some time for TikTok to review and respond to limit increase requests. Persistently hitting your limit daily helps show the need for an adjustment from their standard follow ceiling.
Using Multiple Accounts
Some users try to get around TikTok’s follow limits by creating multiple accounts. However, this strategy comes with several downsides:
- TikTok’s systems are designed to detect and flag suspicious activity across linked accounts, so you may end up with restrictions placed on all associated accounts if you aggressively follow/unfollow or otherwise violate limits.
- Managing multiple accounts takes extra time and effort. You have to repeatedly log in and out to operate each one.
- Metrics and growth start from scratch with each new account. Features like going live, verifications, creator fund access, etc. will need to be re-earned.
- Engagement can become diluted across multiple accounts rather than focused on a single brand. Followers may be confused by cross-promoting.
The best practice is to grow your main account according to TikTok’s limits organically. While multiple accounts can provide some benefit for separate niche branding, heavily using alts to increase follows or views artificially often leads to issues.[1]
Patience is Key
It’s important to understand that the follow limits placed on new TikTok accounts are temporary and intended to prevent spamming and fake accounts. With continued normal use over time, these limits will be lifted by TikTok. New users just need to be patient as they actively engage with the platform.
As your account ages and establishes a history of authentic activity, TikTok’s systems will determine that you are a real user and not a spam bot. TikTok states that their limits are “adjusted based on factors like your account’s age, content quality, and follower base.”
While it can be frustrating at first, try not to obsess over the follow limits. Focus instead on posting quality content, interacting with other users, and building your audience organically. As your account reputation improves, TikTok will reward you with increased capabilities.
So have patience and keep participating normally on TikTok. Before long, you’ll gain the ability to follow as many users as you want. The limits are not meant to be permanent, but rather a necessary stage for new accounts to establish themselves on the platform.
Recommended User Strategies
For new TikTok users wanting to grow their audience organically, the key is to focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your target viewers. According to TikTok’s own recommendations, you should aim to post at least 5 videos per day when starting out. The more content you have, the greater your chances of hitting the coveted “For You” page and getting discovered by new followers.
It’s also important to identify trending audios, effects, hashtags, and challenges that relate to your niche. As Buffer recommends, engaging with trending content can help expose your profile to communities of users already interested in those topics and styles of videos. Spending time liking, commenting on, and duetting others’ content can also help with visibility.
Lastly, optimizing your profile and video titles/descriptions with relevant keywords can help viewers find you when searching TikTok. Come up with creative hooks and compelling video concepts that grab attention quickly. The goal is to make content that people genuinely want to engage with by informing, entertaining, inspiring or surprising them.
Why Limits Are Necessary
TikTok implements daily and hourly follow limits to prevent spam and bot accounts on their platform. As one of the most popular social media apps worldwide, TikTok attracts a high volume of inauthentic accounts that aim to artificially boost engagement. By restricting how many users someone can follow per day or hour, TikTok limits the effectiveness of these fake accounts.
According to sources, the daily follow limit on TikTok is around 200, while the hourly limit is approximately 25 [1]. These limits force accounts to build their following at a gradual, organic pace. Without such restrictions, spam accounts could amass thousands of followers in a short period, then use this inflated network for malicious purposes like spreading misinformation or scams.
While frustrating for legitimate users trying to grow their audience quickly, TikTok’s follow limits protect the integrity and safety of the platform. By throttling account growth, TikTok reduces the reach of bad actors looking to abuse or manipulate their system. This upholds an authentic, spam-free environment where real content creators can thrive.
Conclusion
In summary, new TikTok accounts are unable to follow other users right away due to anti-spam measures put in place by TikTok. These restrictions are designed to prevent bots and fake accounts from exploiting the platform. By actively using your new account – posting videos, commenting on others’ content, verifying your email and phone number, etc. – you’ll be able to meet the requirements to start following others sooner. Have patience and focus on creating original content as a new user. TikTok’s main priority is fostering an authentic community, which ultimately benefits all users. With time and genuine engagement, your account’s capabilities will expand.
