If you’ve noticed that your TikTok Following feed isn’t showing the latest videos from the accounts you follow, there could be a few reasons for this. Here are some common causes and solutions for fixing a stalled Following feed on TikTok so you don’t miss out on new content from your favorite creators.
Your TikTok app may need an update
One of the simplest explanations is that your TikTok app itself needs a software update. Like all apps, TikTok frequently releases new versions and bug fixes that can improve performance and fix issues. If your TikTok app is out of date, it may have a glitch that’s preventing your Following feed from updating properly.
To update the TikTok app on your iOS or Android device, open the App Store or Google Play Store, search for TikTok, and see if there is an “Update” button available. Tap to update to the latest version. You can also try manually refreshing the TikTok app by swiping it away from the multitasking view or double-tapping the home button and swiping it up to fully close the app. Then reopen TikTok and check if your Following feed loads new videos.
Your account settings or filters may be blocking content
TikTok gives you various account settings and filters to customize the kind of content that appears in your feeds. It’s possible you have certain restrictions enabled that are inadvertently blocking newer videos from accounts you follow.
Check your account’s privacy and video settings. Make sure you don’t have options like “Restricted Mode” enabled, which can filter out content deemed inappropriate. Disable any filters you have for keywords, captions, hashtags, or users that could be blocking videos matching those criteria. Also check that your account’s age limit doesn’t have an option set that hides content from creators above or below a certain age threshold relative to you.
Your Following feed algorithm may need resetting
Like other social media feeds, TikTok doesn’t simply show posts chronologically. Its algorithm analyzes your activity and preferences to curate a Following feed it thinks you’ll engage with most. But sometimes this algorithm can get stuck showing you stale content from the same subset of accounts.
Try resetting the algorithm by telling TikTok you’re not interested in certain videos from your Following feed. Long-press on a video then tap “Not Interested” to signal you want less of that content. You can also proactively Like, Comment on, Share and View videos you want to see more of from other accounts you follow to influence the algorithm.
Check if any accounts you follow have gone private
If one or more of the accounts you follow on TikTok have gone private, their newly posted videos will no longer appear in your Following feed unless you get approved to view them. TikTok will hold the private account’s posts until you submit a request to follow the private account and the account owner approves you.
Scan through your Following list and look for accounts marked as “Private.” Tap to view them and submit a follow request. Once the account owner approves you, their private content will again show up in your feed. If there are accounts you follow that you can no longer view at all, it likely means they’ve blocked you.
Check if videos are getting incorrectly filtered by TikTok
In some cases, your Following feed may appear stale because TikTok is itself incorrectly filtering out newer videos from accounts you follow. This can happen if TikTok’s automated review algorithms have mistakenly flagged certain videos as violating its community guidelines.
To identify if this is happening, check the actual TikTok profiles of accounts you follow to look for new videos that are not showing up in your Following feed. If you find newer videos that seem appropriately fine yet aren’t in your feed, it points to faulty filtering by TikTok. Report the issue directly within the TikTok app to prompt its team to investigate.
You may have hit TikTok’s account following limit
TikTok places a limit on the maximum number of accounts each user can follow, currently capped at 10,000 accounts. If you’ve hit that limit, TikTok will not populate your Following feed with posts from any additional accounts you attempt to follow beyond that 10,000 max.
Check your Following list and count the total number of accounts you currently follow. If it’s reached the 10k ceiling, you’ll need to unfollow some accounts if you want to follow any new ones and see their videos in your feed.
Location or device settings could be restricting your feed
TikTok tailors content in your Following feed based on signals like location and device settings. If you normally use TikTok in one location or device, then try to access TikTok from a new location or different device, your Following feed experience will adapt.
For example, accessing TikTok while traveling abroad could trigger the app to show you more generic global content until it re-calibrates your local feed preferences. Or switching from WiFi to mobile data could make your Following feed default to saving bandwidth. Check your location services permissions and try setting your usual home location in the TikTok app to keep your feed consistent.
Server outages could be preventing new content from loading
Like any online platform, TikTok sometimes experiences technical issues on its back end that disrupt normal functioning. Server outages, service degradation, or other glitches could stall your Following feed even if you and your account have no issues on your end.
Check third-party sites like DownDetector to see if others are reporting any TikTok outages. Try basic troubleshooting like force quitting the TikTok app, toggling airplane mode, connecting to different WiFi, or waiting a while to see if service resumes. Widespread outages will resolve themselves once TikTok’s engineers fix the problem.
Your account may be stuck pending TikTok review
In rare cases, your entire TikTok account could get stuck pending review by TikTok’s moderation team, which halts your Following feed. This can happen if TikTok suspects your account was spam, hacked, or violated its terms.
If your profile and feeds aren’t loading at all, your account may be under review. Check your email for any messages from TikTok informing you about a pending account review. You’ll need to follow TikTok’s appeal process to get your account back in good standing before your Following feed starts flowing again.
You may be temporarily or permanently shadowbanned
Being shadowbanned on TikTok essentially means your account and activity is restricted behind the scenes due to violations. A shadowban makes your profile and videos undiscoverable to others without your knowledge.
Since shadowbans are opaque, double check if you can find your profile logged out of your account or from incognito mode. If your clips aren’t surfacing under hashtags or you’ve had a sudden unexplained drop in engagement, you may have been shadowbanned either temporarily or permanently unless you successfully appeal it.
Log out and log back into your TikTok account
As a basic troubleshooting step, try fully logging out of your TikTok account and then logging back in. Close the TikTok app, clear cached data/cookies from your mobile browser or app settings, then launch TikTok and sign in again.
Resetting your account session like this can clear up any corrupted data or glitches affecting your Following feed. Sometimes just a simple logout and login is enough to promptly restore your TikTok Following feed back to normal.
Try using TikTok on different devices and networks
For additional troubleshooting, attempt accessing TikTok from different devices and internet connections to tell if the Following feed issue is isolated or widespread.
Check your Following feed on mobile data instead of WiFi, or vice versa. Try loading TikTok on a tablet instead of phone, or view it on desktop to see if the same problem occurs. If your Following feed works fine on other setups, the issue may be device-specific and require reinstalling TikTok or updating software.
Contact TikTok Customer Support for further help
If you’ve tried all the standard troubleshooting steps but your TikTok Following feed still isn’t updating properly, reach out directly to TikTok’s customer support team for additional help identifying and resolving the problem.
In the TikTok app, go to your profile and tap the three dot Menu > Settings and Privacy > Report a Problem to contact TikTok support. Explain your Following feed issue in detail. TikTok can investigate backend causes related to your account and provide guidance tailored to your specific situation.
With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become a go-to entertainment destination for millions globally. But technical hiccups can still disrupt the experience. If your TikTok Following feed fails to show the latest videos, try the troubleshooting tips here to get your account’s content stream flowing freely again.
