Why is TikTok making my account private? Users frustrated by profile locks
TikTokTikTok users have been reporting that their accounts have, randomly, been set to private. Here’s what we know about it, and how you might be able to fix things.
Over the last few years, TikTok has cemented itself as one of the biggest social platforms on the planet, with millions of users spending hours upon end scrolling through their For You Page on a daily basis.
As big as the video-sharing platform has got, though, there have been a few issues to go along with it. TikTokers have regularly shared their frustrations with error codes preventing them from posting, as well as being locked out of their accounts without doing much wrong.
Since May 2022, users have also been reporting that their accounts are randomly being set to private, preventing them from commenting on videos, liking posts, and even sending DMs.
Unsplash: Alexander ShatovWhy does my TikTok account keep going private?
The issue has been flagged by a number of users across social media, claiming that their accounts have, at least for a small period of time, been restricted in what they can do.
If this has happened to you, then it might be because your account is registered as being under the age of 16. TikTok has restricted the features that under-16 accounts can use, so you may have been caught up in that.
Of course, you can simply change your age to be above 16, though you may run the risk of being banned, given that stating your correct age is a part of the app’s guidelines. Alternatively, you can simply wait things out.
Anyone else having problems with liking TikTok comments? My account suddenly went private by itself too.
— Bladez 🔻 (@Blxdez_) May 24, 2022
Is anyone else’s TikTok suddenly turn private and every time you change it to public it keeps going back to private?????
— Téa ❣ (@itsteaaa) May 24, 2022
However, if you’re account is over 16 and it’s been restricted, then things do get a little trickier when it comes to a fix, given how random the issue is.
You can wait things out and see if TikTok fixes itself, or you can delete and then re-install the app to see if that addresses things. If neither works, well, you’re a bit out of luck.
Given that it has affected a number of users, though, ByteDance will likely get things sorted before long, so it could just be a bit of a waiting game.