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While TikTok can be a great resource when the algorithm matches your current interests, your For You Page may not always mirror content you’re actually interested in or want to see. attempt to avoid making these mistakes when scrolling on TikTok to keep your page matched to your interests.
1Interacting With Content You Don’t Like
Firstly, try not to interact with content you don’t like. Liking, commenting, sharing, and watching content you’re not interested in tells the algorithm that you want to see more of this content. Instead, the best practice is to swipe away from a video or photo carousel that doesn’t match what you like to see when scrolling through TikTok.
If you are seeing content that doesn’t match your interests regularly, you canchange your TikTok For You Page to fit your preferences.
2Viewing Profiles You Know But That You Don’t Like
Building off of the first tip, it’s also important not to view profiles of people or brands you don’t want to interact with. If you want to check out a TikTok from a celebrity that’s been generating buzz, clicking on their profile will tell the algorithm that you want to see more content from that celebrity’s profile.
If you’re just trying to casually view something as a once-off, you can search for the video on YouTube or view TikTok on a web browser while logged out.
3Following Accounts You’re Not Actually Interested In
If you decide to follow people you know in real life, TikTok’s algorithm may take this as a sign that you’d like to see content from other people you may know. If you’re looking to stay incognito on TikTok, or keep your profile separate from your personal life, avoid following people you know.
4Switching Between Devices
Screenshot by Marissa Zupancic — no attribution
Switching between the TikTok app and the browser version of TikTok may change what your For You Page shows you, as well. For instance, when I switch from my account on my phone to the same account on the browser version, my For You Page goes from curated content I want to see to generic comedy and music content I’ve never interacted with on my account.
If you have more than one smartphone, your TikTok feed may also be different on each device despite being signed into the same account.
5Searching Keywords When Signed In
Sometimes a TikTok search may be helpful for a specific problem. Just because you search for a specific phrase once, however, doesn’t mean you continually want to see that content.
For example, if you’re searching for a makeup tutorial, but mainly use your TikTok account for book-related content, you should make sure to sign out of your account before searching for the makeup keyword. If you don’t, you’ll slowly see more makeup content in your feed.
6Not Using a Different Account for Work
Researching for different work-related tasks may mean browsing TikTok for recent trending styles, music, challenges, and more. I personally made this mistake, looking for different beauty content while logged into my personal TikTok account. Now, instead of the feed I curated for myself, I receive lifestyle and beauty videos that don’t pertain to my personal life.
To avoid this, you can create a separate account solely for research that will have a different For You Page pertaining to work and may save you the hassle of more research later on.
you’re able to also completelyreset your TikTok For You Pageif your feed is serving content you don’t want to see.
7Skipping Content You Like
If you come across content that you enjoy, you should try to watch that video in full or swipe through all the pictures in the carousel. The more time you spend watching content that actually matches your interests, the more likely it is that you’ll see the same type of content on your For You Page in the future.
Time spent watching a video or swiping through photos directly counts toward the way TikTok suggests content for you.
8Not Checking Your Language Preference
While this may sound obvious, switching a language preference on TikTok can help if you’re learning a new language and want to see TikToks spoken or written in the language you’re learning.
For example, instead of searching for Japanese TikToks while using the English version of the app, your page will naturally show more TikToks in Japanese if you switch your language preference to Japanese. Make sure you know how to switch the preferences back to your preferred language, too, in case you want to change them again.
It’s easy to accidentally interact with content you don’t like and change your TikTok For You Page for the worse. These reminders can help ensure your For You Page stays consistent with your interests.
