If you’ve ever wondered why your TikTok feed looks different from your friends’ feeds, you’re not alone. With TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm, each user’s “For You” page is highly personalized based on their interests, engagement, location, device, and more. So no two TikTok feeds are ever exactly the same.
In this guide, we’ll break down the main reasons your TikTok feed likely looks different than someone else’s, and explain how TikTok’s algorithm curates each user’s unique experience on the platform.
TikTok’s Recommendation Algorithm
The key factor that determines what you see on your TikTok feed is TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. This complex AI system analyzes tons of data signals to determine which videos to show each user to keep them engaged on the app.
Some of the main data points TikTok’s algorithm considers include:
- Your interests and engagement – Videos you like, share, comment on
- Content you create
- Searches within TikTok
- User interactions – Who you follow, accounts you visit
- Video information – Hashtags, sounds, captions
- Device and settings – Language, region, privacy settings
By processing all this data, TikTok’s algorithm gets to know each user’s preferences. It then recommends content it thinks you’ll enjoy watching and engaging with.
This is why the For You page is so addictive – you’re constantly served up a stream of videos tailored just for you. But it also explains why no two users’ experiences on TikTok are exactly the same.
Your Interests and Engagement
One of the biggest factors determining your TikTok feed is the content you’ve previously engaged with. This includes:
- Videos you like – Tapping the heart icon trains the algorithm to show you more similar content.
- Videos you share – Sharing videos to other platforms tells TikTok you really like that content.
- Videos you comment on – Leaving comments shows you actively engage with certain videos.
- Videos you watch multiple times – Repeated views signal you really enjoy that type of content.
Over time, TikTok learns your preferences based on these engagement signals. It starts serving you more and more videos that align with the content you’ve previously liked, shared, commented on, and rewatched.
For example, if you watch lots of cat videos and cooking videos, your For You page may show lots of funny cat clips, cat-themed cooking videos, and food content – while someone else may see completely different content tailored to their preferences.
Who You Follow
Another factor is who you follow on TikTok and which accounts you regularly check in on. The algorithm takes note of:
- Popular creators you follow
- Niche interests represented in accounts you follow
- Accounts and hashtags you visit often
Then it looks for additional content and accounts that are similar or related to your follows. This helps populate your feed with videos likely aligned to your interests, based on who you’ve chosen to follow.
For example, if you follow a lot of beauty influencers and routinely check for updates from makeup artists, TikTok may serve you more beauty-related videos. Even from creators you don’t follow.
Content You Create
TikTok also considers the content you create in determining your preferences. Details like:
- Hashtags you use in your videos
- Songs and sounds in your videos
- Captions and text overlays you add
- Effects and filters you use
All signal the topics and trends you actively engage with as a content creator. So TikTok will look for more videos featuring those same elements to recommend you as a viewer, assuming you’ll be interested in what’s popular around the types of videos you like to make.
Your Activity
How you interact with content also provides useful signals. Such as:
- Hashtags and sounds you search for – TikTok takes note of popular tags and sounds you look up.
- Text in comments you leave – Keywords in your comments indicate your interests.
- Captions on videos you engage with – You’re likely interested in the topics mentioned.
From these signals, TikTok identifies themes and topics you actively seek out. The algorithm uses that intel to find more niche videos featuring your favorite hashtags, sounds, captions, etc.
Device, Settings and Location
Lastly, some basic settings also influence the content you see:
- Device language
- Country location
- Age and privacy settings
TikTok tailors trends, slang, sounds, creators, hashtags, and content style based on factors like your language, location, and age profile. This helps serve locally relevant and age-appropriate content.
So two people with different device settings may see variations even if they have similar interests. Local trends and languages will differ based on their profiles.
When Your Feed Diverges Further
While the above factors generally influence subtle differences in people’s TikTok feeds, there are a few cases when your feed can drastically diverge from a friend’s:
- When you take a break from TikTok – Trends move fast! If you don’t open TikTok for a few weeks, the algorithm has less recent data on your preferences. You may notice more unfamiliar content when you return.
- When your interests suddenly change – If you shift interests quickly, it takes time for TikTok to adjust to your new engagement signals. You may temporarily see some stale content.
- When TikTok tests a new recommendation model – TikTok constantly refines its algorithm, and sometimes it tests entirely new models. During A/B tests, you could be served content from an experimental algorithm that your friends don’t get.
In cases like these, don’t be surprised if your For You page temporarily seems totally unrelated to a friend’s. Give it time to re-adjust based on your latest viewing activity.
How to Reset Your Recommendations
If your TikTok recommendations ever seem off base, you can take steps to reset the algorithm:
- Delete viewing history and search history in Privacy settings
- Unlike videos that don’t match your interests
- Follow some new accounts relevant to your current interests
- Actively engage with content you do enjoy to re-train recommendations
Within a day or two, TikTok should start refreshing your feed with content better aligned to the new signals you’re providing.
The Takeaway
No two TikTok feeds look exactly alike thanks to the highly personalized recommendation algorithm. Your specific interests, engagement, follows, location, device, and more all influence the content you see.
While it can be surprising to see how different your feed is from a friend’s, remember – that’s TikTok’s algorithm doing its job to customize everyone’s “For You” page.
The more actively you engage with videos relevant to your current interests, the more tailored your recommendations will become over time.
