What Does ‘Private Account’ Mean on TikTok?
On TikTok, a private account means that the account’s content and profile information is restricted and can only be viewed by approved followers. In contrast, a public TikTok account is visible to everyone on the platform.
With a private account, the account holder has full control over who can see and interact with their content. They must manually approve each follower request before someone can view their videos or profile. This allows users to limit their audience and keep their account more hidden.
According to TikTok’s support page, when an account is made private, all existing followers remain approved to view the account, but any new followers must be approved. Additionally, private accounts do not appear in any public places in the app like the Following or For You feeds.
Overall, a “private account” on TikTok refers to an account that is not publicly accessible. Only approved followers can view and engage with private accounts.
Why Make an Account Private?
There are two main reasons TikTok users make their accounts private:
To control who can view and interact with their content. Having a private account allows users to approve or deny followers, limiting their audience to people they know and trust. This provides more control over who sees their videos.
To avoid unwanted attention. Public accounts can attract comments and messages from strangers. Making an account private limits interactions to approved followers only. This helps avoid harassment or bullying from people users don’t know.
Sources:
https://www.quora.com/What-will-be-the-benefit-of-making-my-TikTok-account-private-1
How to Make Your TikTok Account Private
Making your TikTok account private is simple and can be done directly within the TikTok app in just a few steps:
- Open the TikTok app on your device and log into your account.
- Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
- Tap on the three dot menu icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Privacy and settings” from the menu.
- Under “Account privacy,” toggle the switch for “Private account” to on (green).
Once you toggle your account to private, your profile and videos will only be visible to followers you approve. You can easily switch back to a public account at any time by toggling “Private account” off.
Here is a screenshot showing where the “Private account” toggle is located within the TikTok app settings:
And that’s it! Toggling that switch is all it takes to make your TikTok account private.
Who Can See a Private TikTok Account?
When an account is set to private on TikTok, the account’s videos and profile information become restricted and are only visible to approved followers. Only users who have requested to follow the account and have been accepted will be able to view the private content.
There are a couple exceptions where someone who isn’t an approved follower may still see some content from a private account:
- If the private account owner tags a user who doesn’t follow them in a video, that user will still be able to see the video they are tagged in.
- If the private account shares a video with customized privacy settings to allow certain friends or users to view it, those specified users can see that video even if they don’t follow the account.
Otherwise, only approved followers have access to view all videos, bios, likes, comments, and other account activity for private profiles. Non-followers can still see the profile photo, username, and bio of a private account, but they have to request to follow in order to view any other content.
Approving Followers on a Private Account
When you have a private TikTok account, you get to approve each follower request manually before someone can see your content. This allows you to carefully curate your follower list. According to TikTok’s Account Settings page, “This means you can approve or deny follower requests, and only people you’ve approved as followers can see your content.”
To approve followers manually, you will get a notification each time someone wants to follow your private account. Tap on the notification to go to your Followers page and either approve or deny the request. You can also go to your profile, tap Followers, and review any pending requests.
However, you can also choose to automatically approve all follower requests if you don’t want to manually review each one. According to TikTok’s Curating Your Following page, “With a private account you can approve or deny follower requests, and only users you’ve approved as followers can see your content.” So you have the flexibility to automatically or manually approve followers on a private account.
Interacting with a Private Account
If a TikTok account is set to private, other users are restricted in how they can interact with that account’s content. According to this source, users cannot view or comment on posts from a private account unless they are approved followers.
This means that if you try to view a private account’s posts or comment on them, you will get a message saying “This account’s videos are private”. The only way to gain access is if the account owner approves your request to follow them. Once they accept your follow request, you will be able to view and engage with their content.
You also cannot duet or stitch videos from a private account. The duet and stitch options will be greyed out for private accounts. This restricts the ability for other users to reuse or repurpose a private account’s content without approval.
So in summary, the only way to view, comment on, or interact with a private TikTok account’s content is to be an approved follower. Otherwise, the account owner has full control over who can access their profile and videos.
Making Content on a Private Account
When your TikTok account is set to private, the videos you post will only be visible to your approved followers. This allows you to share content more selectively with people you know and trust. According to TikTok’s help article, “Video privacy | TikTok Help Center,” you can choose to restrict videos to friends, followers, or make them private so that “only you can view it.”
However, there are still ways your private videos can reach a wider audience. If you are tagged by another user in their public video, your private video could be exposed to their followers. Your private videos could also go viral if a public account shares or duets with your content. So even with a private account, a video you post has the potential to gain broad viewership through shares, stitches, and collaborations.
Switching from Public to Private
If you decide to switch from a public account to a private account, there are a couple key things that will happen:
First, TikTok will automatically unfollow any followers you had that you have not approved to see your private account. When your account changes from public to private, TikTok will send a notification to your followers letting them know your account is now private. Any followers you had before will need to send a follow request which you can choose to approve or deny.
Second, TikTok will notify all of your current followers that your account has changed to private. This allows your followers to understand why they can no longer see your profile and videos. If they want to continue seeing your content, they will need to send a follow request that you can approve or deny. This helps prevent followers from getting confused when your previously public profile goes private.
Overall, switching to a private account on TikTok automatically cuts off access to those you haven’t approved to follow you. It also notifies your current followers that you’ve gone private so they can request to continue seeing your videos if you allow it. This keeps you in control of who interacts with your account.
Pros and Cons of a Private Account
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a private account on TikTok. Understanding these can help you decide if a private or public account is right for you.
Pros of a Private Account:
- More control over who can see your content – You get to approve each follower, so only people you choose have access.
- Avoid harassment and bullying – Keeping your account private prevents unwanted interactions.
Cons of a Private Account:
- Smaller potential reach – Your videos can only be seen by approved followers, limiting your growth and audience size.
- Harder to go viral – It’s difficult for any one video to get huge views if the account is private.
Overall, a private account gives you more control over privacy and interactions, at the cost of some content reach. You’ll have to weigh which factors are most important for your needs on TikTok.
Private Account FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about private accounts on TikTok:
Can people see your comments if your account is private?
Yes, any comments you make on public videos can be seen, even if your account is set to private. However, no one except your approved followers will be able to see your own private videos or your profile information.
Can you view private TikTok accounts?
No, you cannot view the videos or profile information of a private account unless you are an approved follower. There are no tricks or hacks to bypass the privacy settings of private accounts.
How do I know if someone viewed my private profile?
TikTok does not notify users if someone views their private profile. The only way to know if someone has requested to follow you is if you see their follow request in your notifications.
Private accounts give users more control over their privacy on TikTok. Setting your account to private allows you to approve followers and limit your content to only those you choose. Understand common questions about private accounts to manage your settings effectively.
