TikTok notifications can sometimes be confusing. You may notice that you don’t receive notifications for every like, comment, or new follower. There are a few reasons why TikTok doesn’t show all notifications:
TikTok limits notifications to prevent overload
The main reason TikTok doesn’t show every single notification is to prevent users from being overwhelmed. Imagine if you received a notification for every single like or comment – it would be too much!
Instead, TikTok uses algorithms to decide which interactions are most relevant to you. For example, you’re more likely to receive notifications when:
- Someone you follow likes or comments on your video
- You receive a new comment on your video
- You gain a new follower that you know in real life
Interactions from random strangers are less likely to trigger a notification. TikTok’s goal is to show you notifications that matter, rather than bombarding you with irrelevant alerts.
Your notification settings control what you see
Another factor is your own notification settings. Inside the TikTok app, you can customize what types of notifications you want to receive:
- Likes
- Comments
- New followers
- Mentions
For each category, you can toggle notifications on or off. You can also select “Important updates only” to further limit notifications. So if you have disabled certain notifications, you won’t receive them even if they occur.
Notifications have a time limit
TikTok notifications also disappear after a certain time period. For example, you’ll only be notified about a new like or comment for up to 2 days after it happened. After that, the notification goes away and you won’t get an alert.
This prevents old notifications from cluttering up your feed. It incentivizes you to check back often so you don’t miss timely notifications.
Bugs or glitches
Sometimes notifications simply fail to send due to random app glitches. With millions of users, TikTok bugs are bound to occur. Restarting your phone or reinstalling the TikTok app usually resolves minor technical issues.
However, some users have reported extended periods where they received zero notifications at all. This is likely a wider technical problem on TikTok’s end. Fortunately, these notification blackouts are rare and temporary.
Shadowbanning
“Shadowbanning” is when TikTok secretly restricts a user’s reach and engagement without their knowledge. Your videos and profile will still be visible to you, but they are hidden from everyone else.
Shadowbanning often results in a drastic drop in views, likes, and notifications. Some users suspect it’s TikTok’s way of limiting spam or bot accounts. Others believe it’s used to censor certain content.
It’s unclear how widespread shadowbanning is, or what exact triggers will cause an account to be shadowbanned. If your notifications have suddenly stopped for no clear reason, it could be a potential sign of shadowbanning.
How to troubleshoot missing TikTok notifications
If you’ve noticed some notifications are missing, here are some troubleshooting steps:
- Check your notification settings – make sure the notifications you want are enabled.
- Update the TikTok app and/or restart your phone.
- Log out and back into your TikTok account.
- Clear the cache for the TikTok app.
- Uninstall and reinstall TikTok.
- Use a strong internet connection rather than spotty WiFi.
- Contact TikTok support if the issue persists.
Will TikTok ever show all notifications?
It’s highly unlikely TikTok will ever show users every single notification. Doing so would create an unusable stream of endless notifications. The algorithms that filter notifications are by design.
However, TikTok could potentially tweak those algorithms to deliver notifications in a smarter, more relevant way. There’s always room for improvement as TikTok continues learning about how people interact with the app.
In the meantime, rest assured you’re seeing the most important notifications based on TikTok’s current formulas. You can also proactively check your videos for additional likes, comments, and new followers.
Other ways to see who engaged with your content
While you may not receive a notification for every single interaction, there are ways to manually see who is engaging with your content:
- Comments tab – View all comments on your videos.
- Likes tab – See who has liked your videos.
- Views tab – Check who has viewed your profile and videos.
- Followers list – Monitor who newly followed you.
- Sound uploads – See videos that used your uploaded sounds.
Checking these tabs frequently allows you to stay on top of all your notifications and analytics in one place. It provides broader insights beyond just push notifications.
Should you buy TikTok notifications?
Some websites claim they can sell TikTok notifications to artificially inflate your engagement. However, this is risky and goes against TikTok’s terms of service.
Buying fake notifications can get your account banned if discovered. The additional notifications are only an illusion anyway – you’re not gaining real, authentic followers.
Focus instead on creating captivating content and cultivating genuine engagement from users who like your videos. Good old-fashioned creativity is still the best way to make it on TikTok!
Key Takeaways
- TikTok limits notifications to avoid overloading users.
- Check your notification settings to customize alerts.
- Notifications disappear after a couple days.
- Bugs and glitches happen – try restarting the app.
- Shadowbanning could potentially silence notifications.
- Troubleshoot issues with settings, updates, and reinstalls.
- Stay on top of engagement using TikTok’s analytics tabs.
- Buying fake notifications is risky and inauthentic.
At the end of the day, TikTok notifications are designed to show you relevant activity, not every single like and comment. While it takes some getting used to, letting go of FOMO helps enjoy the app!
