Every day, millions worldwide watch short-form videos on TikTok and share their own clips. Some do it to be creative and sociable; others are seeking popularity. But as in any online community, TikTok is not just a platform for cool bloggers and their fans. It is also home to haters, spammers, and scammers. We tell you what security and privacy settings will help protect your account from them.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the most important thing:\u00a0protection from hacking. To see the few security settings TikTok offers, tap the Me<\/em> icon and then the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen. The settings you need are under Manage my account<\/em>.<\/p>\n Many social networks and services help secure users against password theft. Enabling two-factor authentication<\/a> adds an extra layer of protection: If 2FA is enabled, in addition to your password, the app requires a one-time code that it sends on request in SMS, for example.<\/p>\n TikTok has no such setting, only the Log in with verification code<\/em> option. In this case TikTok sends you a one-time access code in a text message. However, that\u2019s not two-factor authentication; the code doesn\u2019t complement<\/em> your password but rather replaces<\/em> it. Simply put, if you have the code, you can log in to your account without a password.<\/p>\n This solution is not perfect, because codes sent by SMS are far from the most reliable protection<\/a> \u2014 although at least TikTok\u2019s approach will save you if your password gets stolen; without that code no one can log in from an unfamiliar device. (One other thing: Unlink TikTok from your phone number if you plan to change it.)<\/p>\n If you sign in through Facebook or another social network, TikTok won\u2019t send anything. The app simply trusts other services. Make sure your Facebook account is properly protected<\/a>.<\/p>\n By default, TikTok remembers your username and password. That\u2019s handy. But you never let anyone else use your phone, right? If you do, disable that feature by deselecting the Save login info<\/em> option under Manage my account<\/em>.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you logged in from someone else\u2019s device and forgot to log out. Or you fear your account might have been hacked. Checking to see whether someone else is using your TikTok account is easy.<\/p>\n Your TikTok profile is visible to everyone by default. Outsiders can find your account, watch a video, and leave comments. If you are tired of spammers and haters, or just prefer not to share videos with all and sundry, tighten up your privacy settings. To do so, tap Me<\/em> on the home screen, then the three dots in the upper right corner, and open Privacy and safety.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n If you\u2019re not interested in becoming a TikTok star and just want to share clips with friends, make your account private, letting only approved subscribers see your videos and likes. To do so, go to Discoverability<\/em> and enable the Private account<\/em> option.<\/p>\n Your existing subscribers will automatically be approved and able to see your videos\u00a0\u2014 similar to how a private profile works in Instagram<\/a>. If that is not to your liking, remove unwanted subscribers on your profile page (Me<\/em>).<\/p>\n Remember that even if you make your profile private, its description will still be visible to all TikTok users. Don\u2019t post unnecessary personal information there, like your home address or phone number.<\/p>\n By default, TikTok recommends your profile to other users if its algorithm finds your clips interesting or recognizes you as familiar to them. Even private accounts can wind up in the recommendations. That might happen, for example, if you have friends in common with another user or they have your phone number.<\/p>\n If you want to avoid getting into any recommendations whatsoever, block the app from inviting others to follow you. To do so, turn off Allow others to find me<\/em> in the privacy settings.<\/p>\n\n Unfortunately, not all users mean well. Some TikTokers are there to shower others with ads or insults.<\/p>\n To keep the comments section under your videos from becoming a sewer, you can set some restrictions. The easiest is blocking outsiders from discussing your clips. To do so, under Who can post comments<\/em> select Friends<\/em> or Off<\/em>.<\/p>\n TikTok also lets you disable comments under a specific video. To do so, open the video, tap the three dots at the bottom right, and select Privacy settings<\/em>. On the settings page that opens, tap Turn off comments for this video<\/em>.<\/p>\n If, however, you want viewers to be able to speak their minds about your clips, but you do not want to manually remove spam and hate in the comments, try configuring a keyword filter. To do so:<\/p>\n One of TikTok\u2019s specialties is the ability to create duets (combine other users\u2019 videos with your own) and reactions (video responses to others\u2019 videos). By default, any TikToker can take a clip they like and use it in a duet or post a reaction. If your clip inspires someone to be creative, that\u2019s cool.<\/p>\n The problem is that trolls can use the feature to attack you. You can block strangers from making duets and reactions based on your videos by tapping Who can Duet with you<\/em> and Who can React to your videos<\/em>, and in both settings select Friends<\/em> or Off<\/em>.<\/p>\n Are you generally in favor of duets and reactions, just not of that video of you singing in a bar? No problem: You can block the use of a specific clip. To do so, open it, tap the three dots at the bottom right, and select Privacy settings<\/em>. On the page that opens, tap Turn off duet\/react for this video<\/em>.<\/p>\n If your private messages in TikTok are open to everyone, then anyone can flood your account with ads or invitations to follow them. To get rid of annoying spam, you can block incoming messages altogether or allow only friends to send them. To do so, go to Who can send you messages<\/em> and select Friends<\/em> or Off<\/em>.<\/p>\n Another TikTok feature lets you download other people\u2019s videos. On the upside, it\u2019s a convenient way to save videos you like. But sneaky TikTokers can steal your megaclips and post them as their own, say, on YouTube. To make it considerably harder to steal your videos you can disable this option. To do so, go to settings and for Allow download<\/em> select Off<\/em>.<\/p>\n Like any social network, TikTok lives for your attention. By default, the app keeps you apprised of every little thing that happens: likes, comments, new videos, recommendations. Annoyed by endless notifications? If so, turn off those you don\u2019t want in the account settings:<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can turn off all TikTok notifications in the device settings. To do so in Android:<\/p>\n In iOS:<\/p>\n If a fellow TikToker gets on your nerves and you do not want them to see or comment on your videos, block them. To do so:<\/p>\n Clips are not always ready for posting straight away. You might want to touch up a video later or try out some filters and features. Or maybe you shot a video purely as a personal memento. TikTok lets you make the clip visible only to you (or you and your friends).<\/p>\n For a new video:<\/p>\n For video you already posted:<\/p>\n Now that your TikTok account is reliably protected, it\u2019s time to think about the security of your other accounts. See our security tips for Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nDoes TikTok offer two-factor authentication?<\/h3>\n
How to disable password saving<\/h3>\n
How to find out if someone is using my TikTok account<\/h3>\n
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Configuring privacy in TikTok<\/h2>\n
How to make a TikTok profile private<\/h3>\n
How to remove your profile from recommendations<\/h3>\n
How to get rid of spam and hate in comments<\/h3>\n
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How to turn off duets in TikTok<\/h3>\n
How to remove spam from private messages in TikTok<\/h3>\n
How to prevent video theft in TikTok<\/h3>\n
How to block annoying notifications in TikTok<\/h3>\n
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How to block users in TikTok<\/h3>\n
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How to make TikTok videos private<\/h3>\n
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Remember to configure privacy and security in other social networks<\/h2>\n