As a growing TikTok creator, you may have tried applying to join the TikTok Creator Fund only to be greeted by the vague but frustrating “something went wrong, please try again later” error message. This error prevents you from submitting your application properly so you can start earning money from your popular videos.
There are even instances where the error message will display as “Something went wrong. Invalid country. Contact TikTok support team for details,” which is interesting even though you might reside in America or any of the eligible countries.
Not being able to access the Creator Fund is extremely annoying if you’re putting time into creating quality content. But don’t get too discouraged yet! In most cases, this “something went wrong” error can be fixed with a few simple troubleshooting steps on your end.
In this detailed guide, we’ll walk through all the potential reasons you’re getting the “something went wrong” error message when trying to apply for the TikTok Creator Fund. We’ll also provide actionable troubleshooting tips to fix the problem for good.
Why You Get the “Something Went Wrong” Error on TikTok Creator Fund Page
Before jumping into the solutions, it’s important to understand why this frustratingly vague error message happens in the first place when trying to apply for the Creator Fund.
When you try submitting your TikTok Creator Fund application, there are validation checks happening behind the scenes to ensure your account meets the program eligibility requirements. Sometimes technical glitches or errors in this process lead to the generic “something went wrong” message rather than a specific denial reason.
Some common triggers for running into this error include:
Account Restrictions
If your TikTok account presently has restrictions enabled or is blocked from accessing certain account features, that can cause the “something went wrong” problem when the application tries checking your account status.
For example, if you currently have live streaming privileges revoked due to previous guideline violations, that present restriction causes complications in the Creator Fund validation process and returns the errors.
Technical Application Glitches
Sometimes there are just minor software glitches or technical hiccups behind the scenes in TikTok’s Creator Fund platform that lead to this error popping up even when you seem to meet the eligibility rules on the surface.
When there’s a lot of user traffic all applying to the fund around the same time, it can reveal flaws or bugs in the system leading to “something went wrong” errors.
Server Overloads
With over a billion active TikTok users, their servers have to handle enormous traffic and data processing loads. When servers experience temporary glitches, slowdowns, or overloads, that can sometimes interfere with the Creator Fund validation process and fail to submit your application properly.
This is especially common if lots of users are applying to the fund concurrently, overloading the system. The “something went wrong” message often stems from server hiccups rather than your account having definitive issues.
So in most cases, that vague “something went wrong” error actually arises from technical problems on TikTok’s end rather than direct issues with your TikTok account itself. By following some simple troubleshooting steps, you can typically resolve the error and successfully submit your Creator Fund application.
How to Fix TikTok Creator Fund “Something Went Wrong” Error
If you run into the dreaded “something went wrong” error trying to apply for the TikTok Creator Fund, try not to panic just yet! Here are some of the main troubleshooting tips and steps to try fixing the issue from your end before contacting TikTok support:
1. Check for Account Restrictions
As we covered earlier, current restrictions or blocks on certain account privileges can interfere with the Creator Fund application process even if you technically meet the baseline eligibility requirements.
So it’s good to double-check that your TikTok account is in solid standing:
- Check your account warnings and notifications for any active restrictions enabled presently locking access to certain features.
- If your comment, live stream, or other features are disabled, resolve any outstanding guideline violations first.
- Temporary feature blocks often trigger the “something went wrong” error until fully resolved.
TikTok won’t approve you for the Creator Fund until account blocks are removed. Clearing up any disabled features helps fix application issues down the line.
2. Update to the Latest TikTok App Version
Outdated versions of the TikTok app can cause all sorts of weird errors including Creator Fund application problems. Using the latest updated TikTok app helps resolve bugs causing errors.
- Open your device’s App Store and manually check if any TikTok updates are pending.
- Install the latest available TikTok app update.
- The App Store often doesn’t auto-update your installed apps. Manually updating ensures your app is current.
- Updating eliminates any resolved bugs in previous versions that could be interfering with the Creator Fund submission process.
Always make sure you’re running the fully updated TikTok app before trying to reapply to the Creator Fund.
3. Reboot Your Mobile Device
An easy first step is to fully reboot your mobile device to refresh the phone processes and clear out any temporary glitches or data corruption triggering the error.
Power cycling your device essentially provides a fresh slate for the TikTok app and clears up many minor technical issues:
- On an iPhone, hold down the Power + Home buttons together until powered off.
- For Android devices, hold down the Power button and select Restart.
- Fully power down the phone for 60+ seconds before turning it back on to completely clear memory.
- Once restarted, immediately open TikTok and try reapplying for the Creator Fund.
Restarting your device takes just a minute but resolves a surprisingly wide range of errors causing account issues like the “something went wrong” message.
4. Log Out and Back Into Your TikTok Account
Sometimes simply logging out and back into your TikTok account essentially refreshes your account authorization fixing problems submitting the Creator Fund application.
- In the TikTok app, tap your profile icon > Settings > tap Log Out to fully log out.
- Force close the TikTok app so it’s completely shut down
- Reopen TikTok and log back into your account with your username/password
- When your account is loaded again the second time, try re-submitting the Creator Fund application
Logging out and back in forces TikTok to re-authenticate your account credentials and often resolves app data glitches contributing to the “something went wrong” error many users face.
5. Try Over Cellular Data or Different WiFi
Outdated WiFi network DNS settings or internet connection issues could also be interfering with properly submitting your Creator Fund application.
Attempt connecting your mobile device to a different WiFi network or switch to cellular mobile data to rule out network problems:
- If you’re presently on WiFi, turn off WiFi and enable Cellular Data only instead.
- Connect your phone to a different WiFi network than you typically use.
- Turn on Airplane Mode for 60 seconds to force a hard reconnect to the cellular/WiFi networks.
Changing networks essentially restarts your device’s internet connection and clears up any network-related obstacles. Connecting via another WiFi network or on cellular data determines if the issues are being caused by your current WiFi stopping the form submission.
6. Attempt on Different Device
Lastly, try submitting your TikTok Creator Fund application on an entirely different device like another smartphone or tablet.
Installing TikTok on another device and logging into your account essentially determines if the “something went wrong” errors are being triggered by a specific device or operating system issues with your original phone/tablet.
- Open the TikTok app on another mobile device or tablet/computer.
- Log into your same TikTok account on a separate device
- Try submitting the Creator Fund application again
- See if the application process works correctly by submitting via an alternate device
Ideally, the Creator Fund application allows you to submit successfully from a different phone or tablet. This confirms that some software flaw or conflict on your original mobile device was likely contributing to the error appearing and preventing submitting it properly.
7. Contacting TikTok Support
If you still get the relentless “something went wrong” error even after trying all the troubleshooting tips in this guide, your last resort is to reach out to TikTok’s customer support team directly:
- In the TikTok app, go to your Profile > Settings > Report a Problem.
- This opens a chat window to message TikTok’s account support representatives
- Explain your persistent issue applying for the Creator Fund and the troubleshooting attempts you’ve made
- Include screenshots of the full error message to provide relevant details
- The support rep can investigate further into precise issues on TikTok’s end tied to your account
TikTok’s outsourced support agents can be hit or miss in quality, but for account access issues they are usually helpful to get more clarity on what might be failing on TikTok’s end or restrictions tied specifically to your account that need to be addressed.
I hope all these troubleshooting tips help you finally resolve the “something went wrong” error so you can get your TikTok Creator Fund application approved! Let me know in the comments if you have any other fixes.
