You open up TikTok to watch your favorite creator’s latest video or to scroll through the For You page, but when you search for a profile you consistently see the “Account Not Found” error message.
You try searching again, and still – nothing. You know for sure you haven’t been blocked by that user, so what is happening?
Seeing the “Account Not Found” screen is frustrating, especially when you just want to check out a profile or see their latest posts. The good news is there are several troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve this issue on your own.
In this post, we’ll cover the main reasons you may see this error message even if you haven’t been blocked, along with actionable tips to help you fix it.
Why Am I Seeing “Account Not Found” if I’m Not Blocked?
There are a few possible explanations for why you may be seeing the “Account Not Found” screen for a TikTok profile you haven’t been blocked from. Here are some of the most common causes:
The User Deactivated Their Account
One possibility is that the user you’re searching for has deactivated their TikTok account. When someone deactivates their account, it essentially makes their profile unavailable to view.
Their username will still exist in any comments or videos they previously posted, but their actual profile disappears.
If someone you follow has deactivated their account, searching for their username will lead you to the “Account Not Found” message. The only way their account would show up again is if they reactivated it.
The Account Was Banned or Removed by TikTok
TikTok occasionally bans profiles or removes accounts that violate their community guidelines.
If the account you’re searching for was permanently banned or taken down by TikTok, you’ll see the “Account Not Found” message when trying to view it.
There’s a Typo in the Username
It may sound obvious, but double check that you’re spelling the
correctly. The slightest typo or capitalization error could lead you to an incorrect profile or the “Account Not Found” screen.
For example, searching for “@katiecat” is different than searching for “@katiecat123”. Always verify the exact uppercase and lowercase spelling before assuming the worst.
You Have a Poor Internet Connection
If all else fails, the issue could come down to a spotty WiFi or mobile internet connection. Weak internet access can interfere with the TikTok app properly loading profiles.
Try searching for the account again after connecting to a stronger WiFi or LTE network. This refresh of your internet connectivity helps TikTok load properly.
The App is Glitching or Needs an Update
Like any app, TikTok can suffer performance issues or random glitches. An outdated version of the app or corrupted cache/data could explain the “Account Not Found” errors.
Updating the app or reinstalling it completely could help resolve unexplained problems loading profiles. This essentially provides a “fresh start” for removing any glitches.
Now that you know the main reasons your TikTok app shows “Account Not Found”, let’s get into the step-by-step troubleshooting process to help fix it.
Fixes for the TikTok “Account Not Found” Error
1. Double-check the spelling
I cannot stress enough how important it is to verify the accuracy of the username. TikTok will not be able to find accounts if even one letter or number is off.
Pull out a pen and paper and carefully write down the username you are searching for. Triple check that you did not make any mistakes copying it from the source where you saw this name.
Next, with the written username in front of you, slowly type it into the TikTok search bar. Go one letter at a time and say each character out loud. It is easy to accidentally substitute similar letters like mixing up “rn” and “m”.
If the spelling you enter matches EXACTLY with the written username in front of you, then you can feel confident no typos are causing “Account Not Found”.
2. Manually browse users
The Discover page in TikTok allows you to manually browse usernames even if the main search bar gives you an error.
Think of Discover as a backup option when search fails. Tap the little magnifying glass icon to access a search box specifically for this page.
Carefully type in the SAME username as before. Then tap Go on your keyboard. Scroll slowly through the list looking for a matching name.
If displayed, gently tap the name. If not shown, attempt steps 3, 4, and 5 before continuing troubleshooting.
3. Reset Your Internet Connection
Mobile internet access involves signals passed between cell towers, device antennas, WiFi routers, and servers. Lots can go wrong!
If TikTok has problems loading data, forcing your phone to totally reconnect “from scratch” with towers often fixes issues.
Access airplane mode in Settings or by swiping down your notification bar (iPhone) or quick tiles (Android). Turn this ON to cut all connections.
Count to 15 to ensure all connections have stopped. Then turn airplane mode back OFF.
Give your phone 60-90 seconds to re-establish communication with cell and WiFi signals as if it just powered on. This makes sure no faulty connections persist.
4. Restart your phone
Beyond internet access itself, the underlying software powering your phone can become glitchy over time. A quick restart clears out some of these bugs.
Think of restarting as hitting a giant reset button on your phone’s brain. Push and hold the power button until a prompt appears to Power off or Restart.
Select Restart and continue holding the power button while the screen goes black. Keep holding 5-10 seconds after the display turns off to ensure reboot has initiated.
Once the manufacturer logo appears again and eventually your lock screen, give TikTok a fresh try!
5. Update/reinstall TikTok
Apps constantly receive updates to fix bugs, refresh visuals, and improve how they access resources like internet data or hardware.
An outdated TikTok lacking the newest updates could suffer issues searching for profiles. Updating gives you those latest fixes.
On iPhone, go to the App Store then tap your profile icon in the top right. Choose Update All. Tap Update next to TikTok’s listing if only a manual option.
To fully reinstall, find TikTok in the App Store results, tap Get, then click Install after uninstall finishes. Log back in with your username and password after the fresh app download.
The process is similar on Android through Google Play Store. Updating or uninstalling then re-downloading refresh TikTok’s code.
6. Clear cache and app data
As you use TikTok, small pieces of data get temporarily stored to speed things up called “cache”. Over time, this builds up and can get corrupted. Deleting clears out this junk data.
Clearing the cache is like dumping trash to make room for new, uncorrupted data. App data involves your settings and login details that also may need resetting.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. This shows how much space apps take up. Tap on TikTok, then choose Offload App. This specially clears cache.
For Android devices, open Settings > Apps & Notifications > See all apps. Choose TikTok > Storage & Cache > Clear Cache and Clear Data. Tap OK to confirm clearing.
Emptying the cache and data totally erases TikTok’s memory, bringing it back to a fresh, blank state.
7. Log out and back in
Logging out completely closes your active session with TikTok’s servers. Logging back in forces TikTok to reload your profile information from scratch.
Tap your profile icon > Settings > tap Log out to fully sign off.
Force quit TikTok so no data stays in memory. Then relaunch the app fresh and sign in again with your username and password.
This makes sure all account details sync properly during the new sign-in process versus pulling faulty cached data.
Think of it as opening a new browser tab versus trying to refresh a glitching one. Starting over avoids old bugs persisting.
8. Toggle Private Mode
TikTok has two account visibility modes – private and public. Private means only approved followers can view your full profile and videos.
If the missing profile you search for went private, that could explain issues loading the page. Toggling YOUR privacy mode signs you out and resets permissions.
In your own account settings, turn your profile private then back to public. Or vice versa if already private. Sign back in afterwards to force a permissions refresh.
9. Disable Restricted Mode
Alongside private visibility, TikTok also provides filters like Restricted Mode to limit mature content visibility. Turn this off in case censorship affects search.
In your profile go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing. Ensure Content Filter is disabled. Also toggle off Restricted Mode for a completely unfiltered TikTok experience.
Disabling restrictions forces TikTok to show ALL possible accounts without hiding filtered profiles from sight behind the scenes.
10. Test on Another Device
The ultimate way to tell if TikTok problems come from your specific device is by attempting to search on a different phone entirely.
Use a family member or friend’s phone and login with their account credentials. Look up the missing username you have struggled to find.
If their device can pull up the profile with no issues, something related to your device or your TikTok app install is likely causing errors no matter what account searches.
Hardware problems like defective network chips, faulty memory, or errors in iOS/Android system files could be to blame – requiring advanced technical troubleshooting.
Does Account Not Found on TikTok Mean Blocked?
No, the “Account Not Found” or “User Not Found” error on TikTok does not necessarily mean you have been blocked.
There are several reasons you could see this error message besides being blocked, including:
- The user deactivated or deleted their TikTok account – If a user removes their profile from TikTok entirely, it makes the account unavailable to search for or view, leading to the account not found message. This is not the same as blocking.
- There is a typo in the username – Double and triple check you have entered the exact username spelling correctly. Even one letter or number typed incorrectly will lead you to a non-existent account.
- The account was banned by TikTok – In some cases, TikTok removes accounts that violate community guidelines. If the profile was banned site-wide, searching the username will state the account is not found.
- You have connectivity issues – Spotty internet or issues with your device could prevent profiles from loading properly. This can temporarily make it appear accounts do not exist.
- The app is glitching – Buggy app behavior could show incorrect errors even if the account exists. Reinstalling the app can help fix data issues.
So in summary – no, the “account not found” message on TikTok alone does not indicate you have definitely been blocked.
Follow troubleshooting tips like checking your spelling, restarting your phone, or reinstalling TikTok before assuming you have lost access.
If issues persist, it may require contacting TikTok support for further investigation to determine if you were possibly banned or restricted.
