What ‘private account’ means on TikTok
On TikTok, a private account means that your profile and videos can only be viewed by users who you approve to follow you. When your account is set to private, your profile, videos, likes, and followers are hidden from people who don’t follow you (1).
This differs from a public TikTok account, where anyone can view your profile info, videos, likes, and followers without needing your approval. Public accounts allow your content to reach a wider audience, while private accounts give you more control over who can interact with your profile (2).
Setting your account to private offers more privacy and restricts your content and data only to followers you accept. Public accounts cast a wider net and make it easier to get discovered by new viewers.
TikTok sets new accounts to private by default
TikTok has standardized setting new user accounts to private by default, starting in late 2021. This policy change was implemented as a protective measure, especially for younger users. As TikTok explained, private accounts give users more control over their online experience.
With a private account, only approved followers can view your profile, videos, likes, and follower list. This prevents unwanted interactions with strangers. TikTok enables users to switch to a public account at any time through their settings. But the private default provides an extra layer of protection, particularly for teens.
The rollout of private-by-default accounts was part of TikTok’s ongoing work to strengthen safety features for younger users. This change now applies to all new TikTok accounts, helping give users more privacy out of the gate.
Making your TikTok account public
If you want to make your TikTok account public, you can easily change the privacy setting in just a few steps:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner to open the menu.
3. Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu options.
4. Tap “Privacy” and toggle the switch next to “Private account” to turn it off. This will make your account public.
The privacy setting is located in your account settings under “Settings and privacy” > “Privacy”. Toggling the “Private account” switch controls whether your account is private or public.
Once you make your account public, anyone will be able to view your profile and videos without needing to send a follow request first. Keep in mind you can always switch back to a private account at any time if you change your mind.
Pros of a private TikTok account
Setting your TikTok account to private offers several benefits around privacy and being able to control who follows you. Some key advantages include:
Privacy and security – A private account means your videos, likes, comments and other account details are not publicly visible. This helps protect your privacy and maintain full control over who can see your content. Having a private profile is especially beneficial for teens and younger users.
Ability to control followers – Making an account private allows you to approve or deny each follow request. This prevents spam accounts, strangers and unwanted followers from accessing your profile. You can build an audience of only people you know and trust.
Avoid unwanted attention – Public accounts sometimes deal with harassment in comments or messages from strangers. A private profile shields you from unwelcome interactions.
Test content – You can post content just for yourself or a small test group before deciding to make videos public. This lets you experiment and get feedback in a more controlled environment.
Overall, the privacy and follower oversight of a private TikTok account provide important protections and benefits, especially for more vulnerable users like teens. However, it does limit your ability to reach a wide audience organically.
Cons of a private TikTok account
One potential downside of having a private TikTok account is that it can limit your potential audience reach and growth. With a private account, only users you approve can see your videos and profile. This means you won’t be able to reach the wider TikTok community or have your videos go viral to people outside your approved followers list (according to https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/zhjijc/tiktok_is_sharing_private_accounts_even_with/ ). As a result, it may be harder to build a large fanbase organically if you stay private.
Additionally, having a private account places restrictions on sharing your videos more publicly. Your approved followers won’t be able to easily share your content to their own feeds or pages for others to see. You also won’t be able to submit your videos to challenges, trending hashtags, or be featured on public feeds like the “For You” page that help expand your audience. So keeping your account private does limit potential reach and viral sharing capabilities.
Growing your audience with a private account
Even though your account is set to private, there are still strategies you can use to grow your audience on TikTok. One effective approach is to create hashtag challenges and encourage your current followers to participate and spread the word. You can provide prompts or ideas to spark video creations around a specific theme or topic related to your account’s niche. Successful hashtag challenges can gain a lot of visibility and exposure.
Another great tactic is collaborating with other compatible creators, especially those with larger public followings. You can work together on duets, reaction videos, or new co-created content. This lets you tap into an expanded audience through cross-promotion. Just make sure to only team up with accounts that truly align with yours and share your values. While these collaborations start out small, over time they can significantly grow your follower count with a private profile.
The key is finding opportunities that let you authentically connect with potential new followers despite the limitations of a private account. Dedicated engagement through hashtags, content creation activities, and strategic partnerships provide that chance.
Public vs private: Which is right for you?
When deciding whether to make your TikTok account public or private, there are a few key factors to consider:
With a public account, anyone can view and interact with your videos. This allows you to easily gain new followers and build an audience. However, it also means you have no control over who sees your content. Private accounts, on the other hand, allow you to approve each new follower. This gives you more control over your audience, but can make it harder to gain followers organically.
If your goal is to grow an audience and get your videos in front of as many viewers as possible, a public account is likely the better choice. But if you prefer a smaller, more selective audience, a private account may be ideal.
Other factors to weigh are how comfortable you feel having strangers view your content, whether you want to limit interactions, and if you plan to promote your account. In general, public accounts tend to gain more engagement, while private accounts provide more privacy and control.
Ultimately, whether your TikTok account is public or private depends on your goals and comfort level with sharing your videos openly. Evaluate the pros and cons for your specific needs to decide which option makes the most sense.
Making specific videos private
In addition to making your entire TikTok account private, you also have the option to set individual videos to private on your account. This allows you to choose which videos are public and which ones are private.
To make a specific video private after posting it:
- Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page.
- Tap on the video you want to make private.
- Tap the three dots in the bottom right corner.
- Select “Privacy settings” from the menu.
- Toggle the switch for “Private video” on.
The video will now only be visible to you. Other TikTok users won’t be able to find or view that video on your profile unless you make it public again. You can repeat these steps for any video you want to privately archive or limit access to.
Making individual videos private gives you more granular control over your account privacy. You can choose exactly which content you feel comfortable sharing publicly versus keeping private just for yourself. See TikTok’s help guide for more details on changing video privacy settings.
Troubleshooting issues with private accounts
If you are having issues with your TikTok private account, there are some troubleshooting steps you can try:
Common problems with private accounts include not being able to log in, account access issues, posts not showing up properly, and more. According to TikTok’s help center article on log in and troubleshooting, you can try clearing your app cache and data as a first troubleshooting step. You can also try reinstalling the TikTok app and logging back in.
If basic troubleshooting does not resolve your private account issues, you may need to reach out to TikTok’s support team directly. You can contact TikTok by submitting a request through their help center. Be sure to provide details on the specific issue you are experiencing with your private account.
TikTok’s support team can look into account access problems, posts not appearing properly, settings issues, and other private account concerns. They may be able to troubleshoot the issue or escalate it if needed. Having access issues with your private TikTok account can be frustrating, but TikTok’s support team is there to help get your account working properly again.
Key Takeaways
If you’ve just created a new TikTok account, chances are it’s set to private mode by default. This helps protect your privacy while you get started, but it also limits your potential audience growth.
Some of the main reasons new TikTok accounts are private include:
- Private is the default setting for brand new accounts
- It allows you to restrict access and test content before going public
- It gives you more control over who can see your videos
To manage a private account effectively:
- Review follower requests frequently to selectively allow access
- Use link sharing and QR codes to provide access to specific videos
- Switch to public when you’re ready for faster audience growth
Ultimately the choice between a public or private account depends on your goals. Private is great for testing and controlling access initially, while public helps maximize viewership and followers over time. Consider which option makes the most sense for your needs.
