Have you noticed that you are unable to follow other people on TikTok? If so, there could be one of several reasons this is happening to you. We are going to go over what is happening and the potential solutions.
Reasons Why You Can’t Follow People on TikTok
You may be wondering, “Why can’t I follow people on TikTok?” Here are the main reasons users have trouble following other accounts on the popular social media platform. We will also provide solutions for how to resolve them:
You Are Following Too Many Accounts Too Fast
A common issue that comes up is that users are following too many other TikTok accounts within too small of a timeframe. If you receive a “Following too fast” in-app message, then you can be certain this is the case.
The reason this action is blocked by TikTok is to prevent bots from manipulation and spam. If you got marked as a bot by TikTok for following too many accounts too fast, you will need to wait 24 hours before you are able to follow more accounts.
While there is no specific daily limit publicly shared by TikTok, it is estimated that following over 200 accounts each day, or 30 every hour, is the limit. Some reports indicate that the daily limit could be as little as 140.
Additionally, you may notice you are not allowed to follow more accounts if you are following and unfollowing the same user numerous times. This is because it indicates to the app that you may be a bot.
Solution: Do your best to follow under 30 accounts per hour and below 140 per day, or less. Break up your following batches to smaller ones that are spread out through the entire day.
You Maxed Out How Many Users You Can Follow
TikTok has a follow limit of 10,000 profiles. This means if you try to follow more accounts than this, you will be prevented from doing so.
This is a straightforward reason why you can’t follow people on TikTok, and it has an easy fix.
Solution: Unfollow some accounts first. This could actually be a terrific opportunity to sort out your Following list for accounts who are either inactive, post low-quality content, or are accounts you are no longer interested in.
You Are Unable to Follow Someone Back Due to Being Blocked
Have you had issues following an account back that either used to follow you or you previously saw was possible to follow? If so, that person may have blocked you.
If someone blocks you, there is no possibility for you to follow them. You also will be unable to see their profile, videos, comments, and likes. There is essentially no engagement possible with someone once they have blocked you.
Solution: You can reach out to the person who blocked you, and potentially come to a resolution where they unlock you, so that you can follow them.
TikTok Is Experiencing Technical Issues
Even though TikTok usually works without issues, there will occasionally be technical glitches or issues that arise. These can range from everything including specific features not working and the app’s servers being completely down. This issue can be frustrating since it seems like there is nothing you can do, but that is not entirely true.
Solution: Look up if TikTok is down on down detector websites, since this will inform you whether it is something on your end or an issue with TikTok. Alternatively, go to https://www.tiktok.com/ in a web browser to see if you have the same issue or not.
You Need to Clear Out the Cache
As you use TikTok, there are numerous files that get built up on your device that involve optimizing the app for a smoother user experience. However, over time these cache files could start to cause issues for you while using the app.
Solution: You may have a buildup of cache files. These can be cleared by going the following:
- From your profile, tap on the Menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen
- Tap on Settings and Privacy
- Scroll towards the bottom and find Cache & Cellular and tap Free up space
- Clear the app’s cache and then see if that resolved your issue
Your TikTok App Needs to Be Updated
There could also be an issue of you using an outdated version of the TikTok app. Whenever TikTok updates its app, previous versions of the apps may suffer glitches that affect functions like following other accounts.
Solution: Update the TikTok app on your device to the latest version. You can do so by doing the following:
- Head to the Google Play Store if you are on an Android device or the Apple App Store if you are on an iPhone
- Search for TikTok in the search field
- Tap on TikTok
- When you see the Update option, tap on it and begin updating your TikTok app version
Note: If your app version is up-to-date, you will not see an Update button.
If you followed the above steps but this still did not resolve your issue, you can try to uninstall and reinstall the app. There is no risk of losing anything on your TikTok account if you do this, although you will no longer have any TikTok drafts you may have had.
A final solution if this also does not work is to submit the error in a report to TikTok within the app.
Your Connection Is Having Issues
Another issue that may be causing you to have trouble following other TikTok accounts is your internet connection. This could mean that either an internet router or the WiFi signal at your location is being disrupted for some reason.
Solution: Restart your internet router if you are using the internet to connect, or find a location where you are getting better cell reception if it is a WiFi data issue. If all else fails, contact your internet or mobile service provider if the issue persists.
Your Privacy Settings Need to Be Updated
If none of the above solutions answered the question, “Why can’t I follow people on TikTok?” then it may be possible you have to update settings or restrictions your account may have.
Solution: If you have an account set to Private, other users may end up unfollowing you. If you try to follow an account set to Private, you will be unable to unless they approve your Follow request, which means you may need to wait until they do so.
Conclusion
If you were previously wondering “Why can’t I follow people on TikTok?” you now know why. There are several different reasons that may be the culprit. If all else fails, you can report a problem to TikTok’s support team, which will be able to help guide you to a working solution for you.
