Since the TikTok craze started, users can’t stay away from to platform. Everyone needs their fix of tips, crazy videos, funny memes, and so on. Sometimes you just want to view your watch history. But like everything else in the digital space, TikTok is far from perfect.
Sometimes it won’t work, and even if it’s for a few minutes, it’s enough to anger most users. If you’re experiencing problems, the tips in this article might help you fix your TikTok issues faster.
Why Is My TikTok Not Working?
Many users experience problems ranging from slow loading time to the app not loading at all.
This could be due to technical problems on the app, such as a bug. While some user activities may be prohibited by the terms of use in the app.
Update the App
Your TikTok app may load slowly if you still use an outdated version. Unfortunately, this also means you won’t be able to watch your favorite funny videos or get a quick dose of entertainment and relaxation before you have to start working again.
TikTok releases new updates regularly to introduce new features and fix bugs. If your app version isn’t working, it could be a bug that was fixed in an update. Here is how to check for updates on your phone.
On an Android
- Go to Google PlayStore.
- Tap on “Manage app and Devices.”
- Click on “Updates Available.”
- You have the latest version if you can’t find TikTok among the options displayed.
On an iPhone
- Go to the App store.
- Search for the TikTok app.
If an update is available, an option to update will be displayed next to the app’s icon.
Clear App Cache
The app cache enables TikTok to play some videos when you launch it offline. The cache memory stores temporary data to allow the app to work more efficiently.
However, the cached data can be corrupted or eat up too much space, often preventing TikTok from loading properly.
The easiest way to resolve “TikTok not working” is to clear the cache data on your phone. However, this simple action could easily fix phone lagging, crashing, or freezing issues.
- Go to “Settings” on your phone.
- Select “TikTok” from the list of available apps displayed. It will open a TikTok app information page.
- Choose “Storage and Cache.”
- Tap the “Clear Cache” button to delete the cache.
- Relaunch the TikTok app to check if it’s working.
Restart Your Phone
If the above method doesn’t work, you may restart your phone to clear out the bug and refresh the CPU. By restarting your phone, you will close all the running programs automatically, and you can do it within two minutes in most cases.
Restart on an Android Device
- Find the power button on your phone (usually on one of the sides).
- Hold it for a couple of seconds to bring up the “Power Menu.”
- Select “Restart” to reboot your device immediately.
- Launch the TikTok app after that to check if it’s working.
Restart on an iPhone X and Above
- Press and hold the “Volume” and “Side” buttons.
- Drag the power-off slider and give it 30 seconds.
- Press and hold the “Side” button to turn back your phone.
Restart on an iPhone SE (Second and Third Generations) 6, 7, and 8
- Press and hold the “Side” button to bring up the power-off slide.
- Drag the power-off slider and wait 30 seconds.
- Press and hold the “Side” button with your device off to turn it back on.
Restart on an Older iPhone 5 and Earlier Models
- Press and hold the “Top” button to bring up the power-off slide.
- Drag the power-off slider and wait 30 seconds.
- Press and hold the “Top” button with your device off to turn it back on.
Uninstall and Reinstall the App
If you are trying to get TikTok to work without results, you may consider starting afresh. This method is most useful when other apps work perfectly on your phone, but TikTok seems to be an issue.
Sometimes it helps to get a clean start by uninstalling and reinstalling the app. the steps are the same for both Android and iPhone. To do it, follow the steps below:
- Go to PlayStore or App Store on your phone.
- Search for “TikTok.”
- Open the app to find options for deleting or reinstalling.
- Select “Uninstall” to delete the app.
- The app will be deleted immediately.
- Wait for a few minutes without navigating from the page.
- The reinstall button will appear.
- Chose “Reinstall.”
- Launch the app and sign in.
Check Your Internet Connection
TikTok requires a stable internet connection to work properly. Therefore, the app may not work if you are out of coverage or your phone’s connection fluctuates regularly. However, you may try opening another app or visiting a website using the web browser on your phone to check the strength of the connection.
If it’s weak, consider connecting to another network or wait for a few minutes before attempting to relaunch the app.
Check Permissions
If you didn’t tick “Allow” on certain permissions like Camera, Storage, Microphone, etc., when you installed the app, you might not be able to use TikTok properly when you launch it. This is because it needs to access some data on your phone to work efficiently. Here’s how to allow the necessary permissions for TikTok:
Android Permissions
- Go to the “Settings” app.
- Select “Apps & notifications.”
- Locate and tap the TikTok app.
- Tap the “Permissions” button.
- Allow TikTok more permissions.
iPhone Permissions
- Go to the “Settings” app.
- Tap “Privacy.”
- Check each entry in the list to see if TikTok has permission.
- Enable permissions where necessary.
The app should work properly now if this were the reason it stopped working.
Check App Restrictions
The app restricts users within specific categories from performing some activities. For example, users under the age of 13 can’t create content or comment on other users’ content. By default, the account of users 13-15 is set to private. This means only their friends can comment on the content they post.
So, you might not be able to use TikTok like many other users if you fall under this category. Unfortunately, if this is why your TikTok doesn’t work correctly, you may not be able to fix it until your age restrictions are over on the platform.
Additional FAQs
How do I recover my TikTok profile after a ban?
If your TikTok is not working because your profile was banned, you could recover it by submitting an appeal to TikTok Support. Here is how to do it:
1. Go to the Notification icon on your app.
2. Click on “Appeal.”
3. Enter the required information.
The TikTok Support Team will review your appeal, and the ban may be lifted afterward.
How do I contact TikTok about a problem?
If you want to report a problem on your account that you think only the app’s support team could help with, then it’s best to email them. Send your email to [email protected]
Since they receive many messages each day, it may take a while to get a response from the team. Alternatively, you could report a problem by doing the following:
1. Find “Profile” at the top right side of the app’s screen.
2. Click on the three-line icon in the top right corner.
3. Choose “Settings and Privacy.”
4. Scroll down to report a problem by choosing from the list provided.
Why can’t I upload videos on TikTok?
TikTok bots frown upon uploaded videos with watermarks. If you attempt to upload such videos, you may get blocked with a message notifying you that your action is against the terms of the app. Secondly, the song might be the problem if your upload was blocked even without a watermark. Some artists do not permit the unauthorized use of their songs on TikTok.
Also, most users use specific apps to edit their videos before uploading them to TikTok. As a result, some of them may have hidden watermarks that may trigger the bots on the platform.
Why is my TikTok video not working after sharing?
If your TikTok app stops working after sharing a video, it may be a technical problem. Try clearing the app’s cache data and then relaunching it to fix it.
Why does my TikTok app crash when I try to open it?
If your app crashes or you get a notification on your phone’s screen saying that TikTok stopped working, it may indicate that the app needs an update. TikTok may also be having technical issues. Consider updating the app and allowing permissions to resolve the problems.
Make Your TikTok Work for You
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why TikTok might fail to load, work slowly, or not at all. But you also have many ways to troubleshoot a “not working” scenario yourself. Hopefully, the tips in this article will spare you waiting to get your support ticket resolved.
Has your TikTok ever stopped working on your phone? How did you resolve it? Which of these methods do you find helpful the most? Tell us in the comment section below.
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