Can People See What You Search on TikTok? Here’s What You Should Know About Search Privacy

Ever found yourself hesitating before typing something into TikTok’s search bar, wondering if others might see what you’re looking up? You’re not alone. While TikTok’s endless stream of videos is undeniably addictive, it’s natural to have privacy concerns. 

The good news is that your search history remains private, unseen by other users—but TikTok keeps track of it. In this article, we’ll dive into what data TikTok gathers, clarify what activities others can and can’t see on your profile, and share practical tips for securing your information. If you want to enjoy TikTok while staying in control of your privacy, keep reading to find out how.

Understanding TikTok Privacy Settings and Data Collection

When it comes to privacy, TikTok operates with a set of guidelines that dictate how your data is collected and used. While TikTok does collect a variety of data from its users, including what you search for on the app, this information is typically used to personalize your experience. However, understanding exactly how your data is handled and what you can do to manage it is crucial for maintaining control over your online privacy.

To put it simply, TikTok monitors your activity— such as searches, likes, and more—to analyze your interests and serve up videos it thinks you’ll enjoy. After you’ve signed up, TikTok starts gathering data on your preferences and activities based on the videos you watch. The app tracks your IP address, search history, message content, the device you use, what you’re viewing, and how long you spend on videos. 

Depending on where you are, TikTok might also keep an eye on your typing patterns, battery level, audio settings, and connected devices. Fortunately, you can take a few easy steps to protect your privacy.

1. Limited Visibility to Search History

TikTok keeps this data private from other users but still tracks your activity for its own purposes. If you’re concerned about the level of data TikTok collects, you can adjust your privacy settings to limit the app’s access to certain types of information, including your search history. It’s advisable to regularly review TikTok’s privacy policy and update your settings to better protect your personal data.

2. TikTok Only Views Your Searches within the App

TikTok’s algorithm is designed to track your activity within the app, including the searches you make. This information curates your “For You” page, ensuring that the content you see aligns with your interests. 

It’s important to note that TikTok monitors and records what you search for within the app, even if you don’t actually press the search button. This process, known as pre-caching, helps deliver faster results and stores your searches. Additionally, TikTok can access and collect information from your clipboard, capturing anything you’ve copied.

However, this data is only visible to TikTok itself and is not shared with other users. This means that while TikTok may know what you’re searching for, other people cannot see your search history on the platform.

3. Request Your Data File Including Browsing History

TikTok offers users the ability to request a copy of their personal data, which includes their search and browsing history on the app. This feature lets you see exactly what information TikTok has stored about you. 

To request your data, here’s what you need to do:

1. Launch the TikTok app and tap on your Profile icon at the bottom of the screen.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Select Account.

4. Choose Download your data.

5. Pick your preferred file format, and then tap Request data.

Once you submit your request, TikTok will compile your data into a file that you can download from the Download your data tab. You’ll receive a notification in the app when the file is ready, but keep in mind that it might take a few days to prepare. 

To download your TikTok data:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Select Account.

4. Select Download your data.

5. Navigate to the top and tap Download data. Here, you can check the status of your request. Once the file is ready, you can download it for up to four days.

Public vs Private Account: Activities People Can See on Your TikTok 

The type of TikTok account you choose—public or private—significantly affects what others can see regarding your activity on the platform. While public accounts offer more visibility and potential reach, they also mean that more of your interactions are visible to anyone on TikTok. 

Conversely, private accounts provide a higher level of privacy, restricting who can view your content and activities. Understanding the differences between these account settings can help you make informed decisions about your TikTok presence.

What People Can See on TikTok Public Accounts? 

With a public TikTok account, your content is visible to anyone, whether they follow you or not and whether they have a TikTok account or not. This means that your videos, profile information, likes, and comments are accessible to a broad audience. Additionally, anyone can follow you, view your follower and following lists, and even share your videos. 

When you post content on a public TikTok account, it can be visible in search engine results, shared on blogs and social media platforms, or even featured in news articles. Depending on your privacy settings, others might be able to Duet, Stitch, or even download your videos.

Public accounts are ideal if you’re looking to grow your audience and engage widely. Still, it’s important to be aware that this level of visibility also means less control over who views and interacts with your content.

What People Can See on TikTok Private Accounts? 

In contrast, a private TikTok account restricts who can see your content and activity. Only users you approve as followers can view your videos, likes, and comments. Your profile information remains visible to everyone, but your activity is much more contained compared to a public account. Other TikTok users won’t be able to Stitch, Duet, download your posted videos, or even add them to their own Stories. 

In short, private accounts offer greater privacy and control, making them a better choice for users who prefer to share their content with a select audience rather than the entire TikTok community.

It’s important to remember that regardless of whether your TikTok account is private or public, your nickname, username, and profile photo are always visible to everyone, both on and off the platform. However, you have the option to limit who sees your posts by adjusting the video settings for each one, ensuring they are only visible to the audience you choose. 

For instance, you can decide whether others can view your profile and post activity in exchange for seeing who has liked and viewed your own content, or you can keep this information private. Additionally, you can control the privacy of your saved and liked videos, choosing to share them with others or keep them visible only to yourself.

Can People Really See What You Search on TikTok? 

No matter if your TikTok account is public or private, other users cannot see your search history, as it’s a private activity that TikTok doesn’t share with others. 

However, TikTok itself collects and monitors your search history. This information helps personalize your experience on the app, allowing TikTok to suggest content that matches your interests. While this data is used internally to improve your experience, it’s essential to know that TikTok can access your search activity, even though others do not.

How to Restrict People from Seeing Your TikTok Account for Increased Privacy 

If you’re concerned about privacy on TikTok, there are several steps you can take to limit who can see your activity and content. Adjusting your account settings can help you maintain a more private presence on the platform by making your account private or controlling who can see specific aspects of your activity.

Step-by-Step Process to Private Your Public Account 

If you want to private your public account, here’s what you need to do:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Tap Privacy, navigate to the Discoverability option, and then turn on the Private account option.

Method to Hide Followed Accounts and Liked Videos 

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top-right corner of your screen. 

3. Tap Settings and privacy and then select Privacy.

4. Navigate to the Interactions section, and then select Liked videos or Following list.

5. Tap Only me to hide your liked videos or following list from other users. 

Ways to Stop TikTok from Collecting Data as Much as Possible 

While TikTok collects various types of data to enhance your app experience, you can adjust several settings to limit the amount of information the platform gathers. Making a few changes can reduce TikTok’s data fetching and gain more control over your privacy.

a. Disable Contact Syncing 

One of the first steps to limit data collection is to disable contact syncing. TikTok can access your phone’s contacts to suggest friends and personalize your experience. 

Here’s what you can do to turn it off:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Tap Privacy and turn off the Sync contacts and Facebook friends option under the Discoverability section.

This prevents TikTok from accessing your contacts, reducing the amount of personal data it collects.

b. Turn off Account Suggestions 

TikTok may suggest your account to others based on your phone number, email, or social media connections. Here are the steps you need to follow to stop this:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Tap Privacy and turn off the Suggest your account to others option under the Discoverability section.

Turning off these suggestions can help keep your account more private and reduce data sharing.

c. Personalize Ads by Disabling Topics 

TikTok uses your data to serve personalized ads, including those based on topics of interest. You can disable specific ad topics to reduce this targeting.

To adjust your ad preferences, here’s what you need to do:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Tap Privacy and then tap Ads. If you don’t see Ads, then the option might be in the Personalization and data section.

4. Select How your ads are personalized and then manually turn off every interest the app has chosen. 

While you’ll still receive targeted ads, disabling topics will allow you to limit the data you provide. 

d. Enable “Off-TikTok Activity for Ad Targeting” 

TikTok also collects data from your activity outside the app to refine ad targeting. To limit this, enable the option to manage off-TikTok activity:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Tap Privacy and then tap Ads.

4. Toggle off the Using Off-TikTok Activity for Ad Targeting option.

More Tips to Maintain Privacy on TikTok 

Beyond adjusting your in-app settings, you can employ additional strategies to safeguard your privacy on TikTok. These tips focus on minimizing data collection, securing your account, and ensuring that your online presence remains as private as possible.

a. Use Apps and Browser Plug-ins to Restrict Data Collection 

To further reduce data collection, consider using privacy-focused apps and browser plug-ins. These tools can block trackers and limit the information that TikTok and other platforms can gather from your device. 

Avoid using TikTok’s in-app browser or META’s browser, as they monitor everything you do within their platforms, including logging your keystrokes. Instead, use your own web browser to set up stronger privacy protections. Steer clear of Chromium-based browsers like Chrome, Opera, and Brave since Google can access their metadata. For better security, opt for Firefox with custom settings or use Safari in private mode. 

Additionally, you can limit data collection with smartphone apps and web browser plug-ins such as DuckDuckGo, Disconnect, and Privacy Badger. If you’re on an iOS device, the App Tracking Transparency security feature can further reduce TikTok’s activity-tracking abilities.

b. Avoid Linking Your Social Media Accounts for Login 

While it might be convenient, linking your social media accounts for TikTok login can expose more of your personal data. When you connect accounts, TikTok gains access to information from those platforms, which can be used for profiling and ad targeting. To maintain a higher level of privacy, you should use your email address to log in to TikTok instead. This approach limits the data TikTok can access and keeps your accounts more compartmentalized.

c. Use a Burner Email Service 

Using a burner email service when signing up for TikTok can further protect your privacy. Burner emails are temporary or anonymous email addresses you can use instead of your primary email. This prevents TikTok from linking your account to your personal or professional email address, adding an extra layer of anonymity. Services like ProtonMail or Temp Mail provide secure, disposable email options that can help you maintain your privacy online.

d. Add Two-Step Verification for Increased Security 

2SV increases your account’s security by requiring a second form of authentication, such as a text message code and your password. To activate this feature:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your Profile at the bottom.

2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then go to Settings and privacy.

3. Tap Security and permissions and then tap Two-step verification.

This makes it much harder for unauthorized users to access your account, helping to protect your personal information and maintain your privacy.

Conclusion

While TikTok collects and uses your search data to enhance your experience on the platform, this information remains private and is not visible to other users, regardless of your account settings. 

By understanding TikTok’s data collection practices and taking steps like making your account private, adjusting your privacy settings, and using additional tools to restrict data collection, you can enjoy the app while maintaining control over your personal information.

FAQs

Q1. Can you see people’s activity on TikTok? 

If you and a mutual follower—someone you follow who also follows you—have both enabled the Activity Status feature, you can see when each other is currently active or was last active on TikTok. However, if only one of you has this setting turned on, neither of you will be able to view the other person’s activity status. However, keep in mind that this feature is only available to users who are 18 years or older.

Q2. Can people see what you are viewing on TikTok? 

TikTok offers a feature called Post view history that allows you to see who has viewed your posts. If you choose to turn on this setting, be aware that users you follow who have also enabled this feature will be able to see when you’ve viewed their posts. It’s a two-way street, so consider whether you’re comfortable with others knowing about your activity before enabling this option.

Q3. Is TikTok tracking my searches? 

Yes, TikTok does track your search activity as part of its data collection practices. This helps the platform personalize your experience by suggesting content and ads that align with your interests. However, you can take steps to limit data collection, such as adjusting your app settings or using privacy-focused tools and browsers.

Q4. Can other TikTok users see what you search? 

No, other TikTok users cannot directly see what you search on the platform. Your search history is private and not shared with other users. However, TikTok itself uses this information to tailor your experience. If you’re concerned about privacy, you can clear your search history regularly or explore your settings to manage how your data is used.