What does a private account mean on TikTok?
On TikTok, there are two main account types: public and private. Public accounts allow anyone to view your profile information, videos, likes, and comments. Private accounts restrict access so only approved followers can see your content (source).
With a private account, your profile photo, bio, follower count, following count, and videos will be hidden from people who don’t follow you. Non-followers won’t be able to comment on your videos or duet with them. Your likes will also be private. You have full control over who can interact with your account.
Public accounts are visible to everyone by default. Anyone can view your profile info, see your videos on the For You feed, and engage with your content through likes, comments, duets, etc. Public accounts get wider reach which can help gain more followers.
The main tradeoff is public accounts have less privacy, while private accounts offer more control. TikTok automatically starts accounts as public, but sometimes switches users to private without warning.
Why TikTok sometimes switches accounts to private
TikTok’s algorithm decides whether an account should be public or private based on certain factors. TikTok evaluates accounts regularly and may switch them to private if certain criteria are met.
Some reasons TikTok’s algorithm may automatically switch an account to private include:
- Inactivity – If an account has not been used for posting or interacting for an extended period, TikTok may switch it to private.
- User reports – If an account receives multiple user reports for inappropriate content or behavior, TikTok may restrict it by making it private.
- Age restrictions – Accounts registered as belonging to users under 16 years old are automatically made private per TikTok’s privacy policies.
- Violations of community guidelines – Accounts that violate TikTok’s rules around dangerous acts, illegal activities, regulated goods, etc may be restricted.
So in summary, while frustrating, automated switches to private are intended to protect accounts and the community when issues are detected. Thankfully, it is usually possible to switch back to public if desired.
How to tell if your TikTok account is private
There are a few ways to check if your TikTok account is set to private or public:
On your profile page, if your account is private you will see a lock icon next to your username and your follower count will be hidden. Public accounts show the follower count. You can also tap on the followers link – if you get a message saying “Only approved followers can see this list” then your account is private.
In the app settings, tap “Privacy” and then “Private account”. If the toggle is enabled, your account is private. If it is disabled, your account is public.
You can also tell by trying to view your own profile when logged out of your account. If your account is private, you will get a message saying “This account’s tweets are protected”.
The notifications tab in settings will also indicate if your account is private or public.
So in summary, look for the lock icon, hidden follower count, the private account toggle, and the ability to view your profile logged out for signs your account is private rather than public.
Issues caused by a private TikTok account
Having your TikTok account set to private can cause some issues that may frustrate users. Two of the main problems caused by a private account are:
Lower visibility/reach for videos
When your account is private, your videos and profile will only be visible to your approved followers. This means you lose the ability to reach the wider TikTok audience and have your videos recommended to non-followers on people’s For You page. According to TikTok, “Private accounts have a reduced audience, so your videos may receive less engagement”.
Inability to comment on public videos
Users with a private TikTok account will not be able to comment on public videos posted by other creators. Your comments will only be visible under videos posted on private accounts you are following. This restricts your ability to interact and engage with the broader TikTok community.
Having a private account on TikTok can be useful if you only want a small group of followers to see your content. However, it does limit your reach and engagement possibilities on the platform. Many creators prefer having a public account so their videos have the chance to go viral and gain maximum views.
How to Switch Your TikTok Back to Public
If your account has been switched to private without your consent, you can easily change it back to public in your account settings:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap on the menu icon in the top right corner (it looks like three horizontal lines).
3. Select “Settings and privacy” then tap on “Privacy”.
4. Toggle the “Private account” setting to off/disabled.
5. Confirm that you want to switch your account to public.
It can take some time for TikTok to update your account from private to public across its servers. Give it about an hour, then check if your videos are visible publicly again. If it still shows as private, wait a bit longer as it can take up to 24 hours according to TikTok’s support article.
Once your account is public again, you should be able to view videos without logging in and other users will be able to see your profile and videos.
Troubleshooting Problems Switching to Public
Sometimes the TikTok app can be buggy and won’t allow you to change your settings from private to public properly. Here are some things to try if you can’t get your account to switch to public:
First, make sure your app is fully updated to the latest version. Go to your device’s app store and check for any available updates. Installing the newest version can help resolve bugs that prevent saving your settings.
If that doesn’t fix it, try fully closing out of the TikTok app and restarting it. This refreshes the app and clears any glitches that could be preventing your changes from saving.
You can also try changing the setting on both mobile and desktop. Sometimes one platform is more cooperative than the other when it comes to toggling your account between private and public.
If you still can’t get your TikTok to remain public, you may need to reach out to TikTok support directly. You can contact them here and explain the issue you’re running into. They should be able to further troubleshoot or manually switch your account to public.
Be patient but persistent when going through support. It may take some time and effort before they can resolve your settings issue.
Maintaining a private account intentionally
Some users choose to intentionally keep their TikTok account set to private to control who can view and interact with their content. There are a few key benefits to maintaining a private TikTok account:
You have more control over who can see your videos and profile. With a private account, only users you approve can view your content. This allows you to share more selectively rather than broadcasting to the entire TikTok community (Source: https://knowtechie.com/how-to-make-your-tiktok-account-private/).
Your account has an added layer of privacy and security. Since your videos, likes, and profile details won’t be visible to the general public, keeping your account private can help protect your personal information (Source: https://ucompares.com/create-a-private-tictok-account/).
You avoid unwanted attention or interactions. With a public account, anyone can comment on your videos or send you messages. A private account prevents unsolicited contact from strangers.
Only your approved followers can duet or stitch your videos. This gives you more control over how others reuse or interact with your content.
Alternatives to a fully private account
If you don’t want a completely private account but still want more control, there are a few alternatives to try:
You can disable comments on some or all of your videos through your post settings. This will prevent people from commenting specifically on those videos without making your whole account private. See TikTok’s support article for how to disable comments.
Another option is to make use of TikTok’s blocked words and restricted mode features. Blocked words will automatically filter any comments on your videos containing those words. Restricted mode hides content that may be inappropriate. See TikTok’s blocked words page and their restricted mode article for more details.
Using these settings can help limit unwanted interactions and comments without locking down your whole account. They allow you to share content more selectively while maintaining a public profile and presence on TikTok.
Appealing if TikTok Won’t Switch Back to Public
If you’ve taken all the proper steps to switch your TikTok account back to public but are still running into issues, you can contact TikTok support directly to request reversing your account to public viewing. Here are the main ways to reach out:
- In the TikTok app, go to your profile and tap the three dots in the top right. Choose “Report a Problem” and select “Account and Profile”. Explain your situation and request that your account be switched back to public.
- On TikTok’s website, go to the “Support” page and click “Contact Us”. Select “Account and Profile” and then describe that your account was inadvertently switched to private and you need help reversing it.
- Reach out to @TikTokSupport on Twitter and explain that you require assistance making your profile public again after an accidental switch.
To increase your chances of successfully appealing, make sure to provide:
- Your TikTok username and a link to your profile page.
- Screenshots showing your account set as private.
- Details on when the switch occurred if known.
- Reasons why you need your account public (such as using it for business or sharing creative content).
Keep your appeal polite and patient. If the first request doesn’t work, try reaching out again emphasizing why you require the account to be public. TikTok support should be able to manually review your case and switch your profile back to public viewing if there are no violations preventing it.
Preventing unintended switches to private
There are some best practices you can follow to avoid triggering TikTok’s algorithm and unintentionally having your account switched to private:
- Avoid posting too frequently, especially repetitive content. Flooding TikTok with a high volume of posts in a short time can appear bot-like and suspicious.
- Don’t use banned hashtags or participate in hashtag spamming. This is against TikTok’s rules and can get your account flagged.
- Don’t buy followers or fake engagement. Drastic spikes in followers or likes from dubious sources can trigger red flags.
- Steer clear of controversial or risky content. Videos with violence, hate speech, dangerous acts, etc. are more likely to prompt restricting your visibility.
- Monitor your posts and engagement for sudden changes. Unusual drops in views or likes could signify your account is limited.
You can also proactively keep tabs on your account status and settings periodically to ensure it hasn’t been switched to private without your knowledge:
- Check your profile page for the blue “public account” label, confirming you are still public.
- Tap the hamburger menu in your profile and look under account settings for the “private account” toggle to see if it’s been turned on.
- Ask a friend to check if they can still view your profile and videos publicly.
Taking preventative measures and regularly verifying your account settings are effective ways to avoid surprise restrictions to private.