TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. Many users make their accounts private to control who can see and interact with their content.
Viewing private TikTok accounts is desired by people for various reasons – to see a friend’s posts, view celebrity profiles, or even monitor kids’ accounts. While TikTok doesn’t allow this access directly, there are some clever methods to get around private profiles.
Methods for Viewing Private TikTok Accounts
Here are some of the main techniques used for viewing private TikTok accounts:
Method 1: With the Help of Third-party Apps
There are third-party apps designed to let you access restricted TikTok accounts. They work by essentially “hacking” the account to bypass privacy settings. Here are some options:
1) mSpy
mSpy is a monitoring app that has a feature to view private TikTok accounts. After installing mSpy on your device and the target device, you can see all TikTok content and messages. It costs $16.66 monthly.
2) uMobix
Like mSpy, uMobix is a phone monitoring app that can bypass TikTok privacy settings. It also tracks location, messages, call logs and more. uMobix costs around $10 per week.
While these apps work, they raise ethical concerns over consent and privacy. Make sure you’re not doing anything illegal.
Method 2: By Creating Fake Accounts
You can create fake TikTok accounts to send follow requests to private profiles. Here’s how it works:
- Make new accounts under fake names and use stock photos for the profile picture.
- Use these accounts to search for and follow the private profile you want to view. Avoid following too many people from one account.
- If the user approves your follow request, you can view their private videos. If not, keep trying with different accounts.
This method is time-consuming and doesn’t always work. Additionally, creating fake accounts violates TikTok’s terms.
Method 3: Searching on Google
Believe it or not, you can find some private TikTok videos indexed on Google. Here’s how to try it:
- Search using the keywords site:tiktok.com along with the username. For example: site:tiktok.com @charlidamelio.
- Click the Videos tab and scroll to find any public or private videos that may be viewable.
- This method is hit or miss but can uncover some private content.
Method 4: Find Their Profiles on Other Social Media Platforms
Since many people use the same username across platforms, you can try finding them on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and other sites.
- Search for their exact TikTok username on other major platforms.
- Even if their account is private on TikTok, profiles may be public on other sites.
- You can get a glimpse of their content through photos, videos, etc. posted on other social media.
Method 5: Fanclub Accounts
For celebrity and influencer accounts, you can find fan clubs that repost private content.
- Search {TikTok username} fanclub on platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
- Fan pages will often repost videos from private celebrity accounts without consent.
- This only works for accessing bigger accounts with fanclubs.
While fan pages make private content accessible, they often infringe on copyright and fair use rules.
Method 6: Follow Them with Friend’s Accounts
If you have friends who already follow the private account, you can try accessing it through them:
- Ask your mutual friends to login to their TikTok on your device.
- Once logged in, you can follow and view the private profile from their account.
- This requires getting help from friends who follow the user.
How to View Private TikTok Accounts Without Following Them
The main limitation with these methods is that most require following a user to access their private videos. Here are some ways to view private TikTok accounts without sending a follow request:
- Use the monitoring apps outlined earlier – mSpy and uMobix allow stealth viewing.
- Search for screen recordings of private videos uploaded on Youtube and Twitter. Fans often record and repost videos.
- Use the viewing tools meant for parents to monitor kids’ activities and accounts.
- A private account’s bio, profile photo and statistics remain visible. Use those details to make inferences about their content.
Essentially there is no foolproof way to directly view private accounts and content on TikTok without following a user. But clever detective work can uncover some private posts.
Can You Report a Private TikTok Account?
While you can’t see content from private accounts you don’t follow, you can still report these accounts to TikTok for violation of community guidelines. Here’s how:
- Go to the profile page of the private account and tap the three dots in top right.
- Select ‘Report’ and choose reasons for reporting – spam, bullying, nudity etc.
- Submit additional details about your reason for reporting to TikTok.
- Even without viewing posts, TikTok will investigate reported accounts. Action may be taken if guidelines are violated.
So even though private accounts limit visibility, they are still accountable for adhering to TikTok’s content policies. Any user can report concerning behavior from restricted profiles.
FAQ’s
What is the major difference between private and public TikTok Accounts?
The main difference between private and public TikTok accounts is that private accounts restrict visibility of posts. Private account holders can approve or deny follow requests. Public accounts, on the other hand, permit anyone to view all videos. There’s no need to send a follow request or be approved by the user to see public posts.
How do you know if a TikTok profile is private?
Here are signs a TikTok account is private:
- There will be a lock icon next to the profile name with the words “This account is private.”
- The account bio and posts will not be visible. It will only display profile pictures and statistics.
- A “Follow” button must be tapped to request access.
- After following, it will say “Waiting for approval” until the user approves you.
Essentially, the inability to view any posts and requirement of a follow request indicates an account is private. The lock icon and “private account” label make it obvious.
Final Thoughts
While TikTok private accounts are restricted, creative strategies can provide some visibility. However, most methods involve workarounds that either cost money or violate TikTok guidelines. There is no way to directly view private content without permission. The best approach is simply requesting to follow polite users who will likely approve followers. With celebrities, fan accounts provide visibility. Overall, respecting privacy should be the priority when interacting on TikTok.
