Trying out viral TikTok dances can be entertaining, encouraging a sense of freedom and carefree playfulness that we might not normally let ourselves. It’s also entertaining to share TikToks with friends and family members who will appreciate them the most, dropping the URLs in group conversations like little gifts. What’s less enjoyable is when these two seemingly harmless pursuits converge, culminating in your mother witnessing you drop it low to Erica Banks’ “Buss It.”
When you share a TikTok video, the app suggests your account profile to everyone who clicks on the link, regardless of where you shared it. While this functionality is great for building a strong following on the video sharing app, it is less than ideal for individuals who want what happens on TikTok to stay on TikTok.
Fortunately, there is a solution to prevent TikTok from embarrassing you in front of people you have to meet in person.
Here’s how to make TikTok stop recommending that others follow your account everytime you share a link.
- Open TikTok.
- Tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner to go to your account profile.
- Tap the hamburger icon in the top right corner (“≡”). This will bring you to your “Settings and privacy” menu.
- Under the “Account” subheading, tap on “Privacy” to go to your privacy settings.
- From there, look under the “Discoverability” subheading to find “Suggest your account to others” and tap on it.
- You will be taken to a menu with several toggles that allow you to control how others can find your account. Toggle off “People who open or send links to you.”
Once you’ve done that, copying a TikTok link and sharing it to a loved one will no longer reveal you.
While you’re at it, check your other discoverability settings to prevent people from discovering you through phone contacts, Facebook, and mutual connections. It’s probably a smart idea if you want to keep your faltering attempts at TikTok stardom distinct from your regular life.