A roommate of mine assumed her account was private simply because she’d never made it public — turns out it had been visible to everyone the entire time. She hadn’t touched the setting because she didn’t know it existed as something to check.
The Settings Menu Most People Skip
Privacy and Settings sits a few taps deep from your profile, and it’s easy to go months without opening it. Every toggle in there controls a specific piece of who can see or interact with your account.
The Settings That Matter Most
Account visibility (public vs private), who can message you, who can comment, and how your activity feeds into personalization are the handful of settings that make the biggest practical difference day to day.
- Open Settings and Privacy from your profile
This is the central hub for every privacy-related toggle on your account.
- Review who can view your account activity
This covers whether your account is public or private, and who can see your likes, following list, and activity.
- Check messaging and comment permissions
These control who can message you or comment on your videos, from everyone to no one.
- Adjust data and personalization settings if desired
This section controls how much of your activity is used to personalize ads and recommendations.
Privacy and Multiple Accounts
If you’re running more than one TikTok account, remember these settings are per-account, not universal — a shopping-focused account and a personal one need their privacy reviewed separately. If you’re curious, How to Use TikTok on Desktop covers related ground.
FAQ
What does making my account private actually do?
It restricts your videos to approved followers only, hides your liked videos from public view, and limits who can send you messages.
Can I hide my following list without going fully private?
Yes, several of these settings can be adjusted individually rather than only through the all-or-nothing private account toggle.
Do privacy settings affect what I see, or just what others see?
Mostly the latter — these settings primarily control your visibility to others, not your own personalized feed.
Is it worth reviewing privacy settings if I mainly use TikTok for shopping?
Yes, especially the messaging and comment settings, since a public shopping-focused account can attract more unsolicited messages than a personal one.