It's only natural for our preferences and interests to evolve with time. When I scroll through TikTok, I refine my content feed to ensure everything aligns with my current tastes and passions. Literally all sorts of content are on TikTok, and it’s easy to get caught up with them on your feed, losing the opportunity to find the right ones that are relevant to you.
Unfollowing someone on TikTok grants us the freedom to curate our experience and allows us to navigate a personalized timeline.
In this article, I will guide you on how to unfollow someone on TikTok. This will empower you to take control of your content and shape your TikTok feed to match your evolving interests.
So, let's dive in.
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile and go to “Profile”
- Tap on “Following,” then scroll through your following list until you find the person you want to unfollow
- Alternatively, use the search bar at the top and search for the username of the person you wish to unfollow.
- Tap on their profile picture or username to open their profile.
- Tap on the person-shaped icon with a checkmark on the person's profile to unfollow them.
- After unfollowing them, the person-shaped icon will change to “Follow.” This indicates that you have successfully unfollowed them.
How to Unfollow on TikTok
Unfollowing someone means their content will no longer appear in your “Following” feed, and you won't receive any notifications about their activity.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to unfollow someone on TikTok:
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile and go to “Profile” at the bottom right corner of your screen.
- Locate the profile of the person you want to unfollow by tapping “Following,” then scrolling through your following list until you find their name.
- You can also use the search bar at the top to search for the user's username.
- Tap on their profile picture or username to open their profile.
- On the user's profile, you should see a person-shaped icon with a check mark on the right of “Message”.
- Tap on this button to proceed.
- After unfollowing the user, the person-shaped icon will change to “Follow.” This indicates that you have successfully unfollowed them.
There you have it! You have now successfully unfollowed someone on TikTok.
Reasons to Unfollow Someone On TikTok
The decision to unfollow someone on TikTok is personal and could depend on many factors. However, here are some common reasons you may choose to unfollow another user on TikTok:
- You’re no longer interested: You may unfollow someone if the content shared by that person no longer aligns with your interests. Unfollowing them will help the TikTok algorithm curate content that is more relevant to you.
- Change in values: If a creator’s values change over time and no longer align with yours, you may decide to unfollow them. For example, they could post content you find offensive or explicitly support advocacies you don't agree with.
- Excessive content: Some creators publish too much content that spams your feed. You may unfollow them in order to discover other content.
- Monotonous content: If a user consistently shares repetitive content that fails to offer new entertainment value, you may feel bored and unfollow them.
- Negative energy: If a creator consistently engages in toxic behavior, such as harassing others, you may unfollow them to maintain a positive TikTok experience.
- Privacy: If you know someone in real life, you may unfollow them to maintain boundaries and limit access to personal information. For example, if you share or like a video, the user gets notified and may view your profile. Unfollowing them will keep you from reacting to their content, and them from yours.
Disadvantages of Unfollowing Someone On TikTok
TikTok offers a diverse range of creators and content that exposes you to different cultures and ideas.
By unfollowing someone, you may limit your exposure to varied viewpoints and miss out on the opportunity to broaden your understanding of different perspectives.
The following are the disadvantages of unfollowing someone on TikTok:
- Missed content: Unfollowing someone means you will no longer see their content in your TikTok feed.
- Limited networking opportunities: TikTok is a great space for networking and collaborations. If you unfollow someone, you may lose the opportunity to connect with them, collaborate on projects, or engage in meaningful discussions that could lead to new opportunities.
- Decreased engagement: Unfollowing someone means reducing their follower count, that could also reduce their engagement metrics, especially if you liked, commented, or shared their content. If you follow each other on the platform, it’s possible that they will also do the same with you.
- Perception and reputation: If you’re in the public eye, unfollowing someone might lead to assumptions about your relationship with that person. Be mindful of how unfollowing someone can impact your reputation within TikTok and beyond.
Unfollowing someone can have unintended consequences. Whether you know the person in real life or not, weigh the above options before tapping unfollow.
Does TikTok Notify Someone When You Unfollow Them?
No. TikTok does not notify users when you unfollow them.
TikTok prioritizes user engagement and content discovery. Therefore, the focus is on providing you with an uninterrupted browsing experience.
When you unfollow someone on TikTok, they will not receive any alert. This means you can curate your feed according to your preferences without drawing any attention or facing awkward conversations about why you chose to unfollow.
Can a Person View My Profile if I Unfollow Them?
Even if you unfollow someone on TikTok, they can still view your TikTok profile.
Unfollowing someone on TikTok only affects your own feed and notifications. This means their content will no longer appear in your “Following” feed, and you won't receive notifications about their activity. However, it does not restrict their access to your profile or content.
Your TikTok profile and its contents remain publicly accessible unless you change your account settings to private, or block the person in question.
If your TikTok profile is public, anyone, including the person you unfollowed, can search for and view your profile, watch your videos, and engage with your content.
Unless you take additional steps to restrict access, unfollowing someone on TikTok is a one-sided action that only impacts your own experience.
Read on to find out how you can take these additional steps.
How to Make Your Account Private
If you’ve unfollowed someone and you don’t want them to have access to your account, you can set it to private by using the following steps:
- Open the TikTok app and tap the “Profile” icon at the bottom right corner. This will take you to your TikTok profile.
- Tap on the three lines at the top-right and select “Settings and Privacy.”
- Within “Settings and Privacy,” locate and tap on “Privacy.” It’s usually found under the “Account” section.
- Under “Privacy,” the first option is “Private Account”. Toggle the switch to turn it on. When it’s activated and turns blue, your TikTok account is now set to private.
- You can toggle the switch on to turn it back to private when necessary.
With a private TikTok account, only your approved followers can see your videos, like or comment, and send you direct messages. Other users not following you will not have access to your profile or content.
How to Block Someone On TikTok
If you unfollow someone and you don’t want them to view your account, you can block them and prevent them from interacting with your profile and content using these steps:
- Log in to your TikTok account and go to “Profile” at the bottom right corner.
- Go to your “Following” list and scroll or search for the username of the person you want to block.
- Tap on the user's profile picture or username to open their profile.
- In the top right corner, tap the share icon to access the options menu.
- Tap on “Block” to proceed.
Once you’ve blocked a user, they will no longer be able to interact with your profile, including viewing your content, commenting on your videos, or sending you direct messages. They will also be automatically removed from your followers list.
Controlling Your Feed
So, whether it's to refine your interests, maintain a clutter-free TikTok feed, or create a positive online experience, the choice to unfollow is yours.
Unfollowing someone allows you to explore new creators, discover fresh content, and ensure your feed remains entertaining and educational. However, it does not diminish the value of their content or their presence on the platform— it reflects your personal content curation and self-expression based on content that matters to you.
On TikTok, tastes and interests change over time. Being able to control and prioritize what you consume on the platform makes the experience interesting and your feed clutter-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would someone remove you as a follower but still follow you?
There’s an explanation for why someone might remove you as a follower on TikTok but continue to follow you. For example:
– It's likely that they accidentally removed you as a follower while performing other actions on the app.
– They may want to limit the amount of personal information you can see on their profile while still keeping an eye on your activities.
How do I know if someone unfollowed me on TikTok?
TikTok does not notify you if someone has unfollowed you. However, you can go to your profile “Following” list and search for their username on the search bar. If the name does not appear, then they’ve unfollowed you.
How many people can I unfollow on TikTok?
TikTok limits the number of people you can unfollow within a specific time frame to prevent misuse of the platform.
For example, if you unfollow more than 200 people within one day, your account may be flagged and shadowbanned by TikTok.
Being shadowbanned means your content will not appear on the “For You Page”, and when people search your username, they won’t see you. Instead, TikTok will suggest other users with similar names or content.
Related Articles
Influencer Outreach Tools: 21 Time-Saving Platforms You Need to Know
How Do You Amplify Influencer Content?
How to Conduct Influencer Outreach That Gets Stunning Results
17 of the Best Snapchat Influencers Who Can Boost Your Reach
How to Become an Influencer in 2024 [A Beginner’s Guide]
40+ Top Influencer Marketing Agencies in 2024