Have you ever posted a new TikTok video only to find that comments from your friends are nowhere to be seen?
It can be disappointing to miss out on engagement and feedback from people you know.
Don’t worry – there are a few possible reasons why you can’t see comments from friends on TikTok and some troubleshooting steps you can take.
Why You can’t see Your friends’ comments on TikTok
There are a few main reasons why you may not be able to see comments left by your friends:
Your Friend Commented Anonymously
On TikTok, users have the option to comment anonymously, identified only as “A User” rather than by their username. If your friend chooses to comment anonymously, you won’t see their name or profile image next to the comment.
Since comments appear in chronological order, try looking at the first few anonymous comments on your new video to see if the words, tone, or references match your friends’ style of commenting. Over time, you’ll start recognizing their anonymous comments.
Your Friend’s Account is Private
For privacy and security reasons, some TikTok users have private accounts. This means only confirmed followers can view their profile, videos, likes, and comments.
If your friend has made their account private, their comments will be visible to their approved followers but remain hidden from anyone else – including you, if you don’t also follow them on TikTok.
Check to see if your friend has a private TikTok account. If you aren’t already following each other, send them a follow request so you can interact fully once they accept.
Your Video is Under Review
TikTok puts some user-generated videos “under review” before making them public, usually to screen content considered at higher risk for rule violations. While your video is under review, only you will be able to view and comment on it.
If your friends don’t see any comments appearing after they’ve left encouraging words on your latest post, it may still be in review-pending status. TikTok typically completes reviews within 24 hours. Once approved, all previous views, likes, and comments should appear.
There’s a Technical Glitch
Like any social media app, TikTok has the occasional technical hiccup or app bug that leads to inconsistent performance.
Problems on TikTok’s end rather than yours could temporarily prevent comments on your posts from loading properly.
Sometimes closing and reopening the app or logging out and back into your account clears minor technical snags. If your friends still don’t see their comments showing after 24 hours, get in touch with TikTok Support for troubleshooting.
Troubleshooting Steps to See Friends’ Comments
If your friends claim they have commented but you still aren’t seeing evidence on your posts, try these troubleshooting suggestions:
1. Update Your App
An outdated version of the TikTok app could cause problems with notifications and comment loading. Updating to the latest version of TikTok only takes a minute and clears up many minor issues.
On Android:
- Open the Google Play Store app on your device.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Select Manage Apps & Device.
- In the Updates tab, search for TikTok.
- If an update is available, tap Update.
On iOS:
- Open the App Store app on your device.
- Tap on the Updates tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll down and look for TikTok.
- If an update is available, tap Update next to the app.
2. Restart Your Device
If updating TikTok doesn’t help, restart your Android device or iPhone to refresh all apps completely. This takes seconds and could resolve temporary background conflicts preventing comments from loading correctly in TikTok.
On an iPhone X or later, hold down the side button and either volume button until you see the power off slider. Drag the slider, wait 30 seconds with the screen off, then hold down the side button again until you see the Apple logo.
Hold the Power button on an Android phone for a few seconds until you get the switch off prompt. Tap Power off and wait 10-30 seconds before pressing Power again to restart your device.
3. Log Out and Then Back Into TikTok
Sometimes logging out and back into your TikTok account can re-sync information and fix issues around missing comments or notifications.
In TikTok, go to your profile and look for the three-line menu icon in the top right corner. Choose Log out to fully exit your account. Close and reopen TikTok, then log back into your account with your email/phone and password credentials.
Once back in your account, check again to see if your friends’ comments now appear on your newest posts. Leaving and re-entering your account forces TikTok to get the latest updates and could knock out a pesky loading error.
4. Ask Your Friends to Re-Comment
If restarting your device and logging out of TikTok doesn’t successfully reveal your friends’ comments, the nuclear option is having them re-comment. While inconvenient, freshly leaving a second comment should allow it to load correctly on your end this time.
To avoid this scenario in the future, make sure you and all your TikTok friends update to the latest version of the app whenever there are changes. Having different app versions may cause inconsistencies in how posts and comments display across accounts. Staying updated minimizes technical issues.
Why Can’t I See All Comments on My Popular Videos?
On top of troubleshooting missing friends’ comments, issues around seeing all comments tend to appear once your videos start bringing in higher view counts.
Popular TikTok videos can tally up thousands of comments quickly. At a certain point, TikTok caps the number of comments the app loads under each video.
Rest assured this limitation exists more for practical app performance reasons than deliberately hiding engagement. Let’s discuss why TikTok limits comment visibility on trending posts and what high-reach creators can do.
Too Many Comments Slow Down Loading
The more comments stacked under a video, the slower that video takes to fully load in the app. Rapid gains in comments also drag down processing speeds, since TikTok continually scans new comments for rule-breaking content.
To keep its platform speedy, TikTok caps the number of comments loaded so millions of views don’t create bottleneck issues hurting app stability. As the short-form video platform scales more creative voices globally, the tradeoff helps them handle more content and creators.
Focus Energy on Top Fans
Remember that dedicated TikTok creators make content first and foremost for their loyal niche, not to entertain the whole world. Even if your video gets shared widely outside your core audience, what your top fans say matters much more than random input.
TikTok nudges creators to keep engaging the followers consistently liking, viewing, and commenting on their content rather than get distracted trying to respond to strangers with one-off views. Limiting comments helps reinforce that loyal supporters should get priority.
Video Quality Still Shows Value
While comment counts motivate some viewers checking out a video, what matters more is your content itself. 100,000 fans could write “Amazing!” but that means nothing if your video offers no value. Meanwhile, a clip with 10 comments that makes viewers gasp in awe or shed tears has truly moved hearts.
As your following grows into six or seven figures, don’t get hung up on views or comment numbers alone reflecting your worth. Focus on enriching people’s days with great clips, not stressing over metrics. The fans who really get you will keep engaging with or without visible comment counts.
What Can I Do If Comment Counts Seem Lower Than Expected?
If your TikTok views rise exponentially but comment numbers lag behind, here are a few options:
Check Video Watch Time
While you may tally up hundreds of thousands of plays, pay closer attention to average watch time rather than views alone. Quick drop-offs signal people rapidly clicking away, unimpressed by messy editing, dull pacing, or clickbait that doesn’t deliver.
Analyze viewer retention reports under video analytics to make sure at least half your viewers are sticking around long enough to even consider commenting in the first place. Lengthy average watches show you have attentive fans hungry for more content like yours that can convert to loyal evangelists.
Poll Followers Off-Platform
TikTok doesn’t allow creators to ask poll questions within video posts directly. However, you can cross-promote short surveying content on other platforms tied to your channel.
Upload Stories or posts on Instagram or Facebook linking back to your latest viral TikTok hit. Ask fans direct questions like “What did you appreciate most about my popular castle explorer video?” or “Would you like me to make an ongoing castle series?” Follow up privately with frequent commenters if needed.
Getting feedback straight from your audience’s mouth gives clearer insight compared to judging from comment metrics alone. The most vocal subset communities leave the highest comment volume across all creators anyway. Polling casual viewers directly ensures the silent majority gets represented too.
Run a Top Fan Comment Contest
Hardcore loyal supporters will stick to commenting without any extra incentive. However, consider stirring up special excitement by running contests for your faithful top fans.
For example, ask viewers to leave a comment about their all-time favorite video of yours within the next 48 hours. Then randomly select 10 users who completed the call-to-action to receive custom merch or gift cards.
