Clearing cached data is commonly recommended for users who want to reset their TikTok FYP.
The idea is that clearing the app’s cache will give the algorithm a fresh start in understanding your tastes and rebuilding your recommendations from scratch.
But does this actually work to alter what you see on your FYP? Can this simple trick allow you to change up the types of videos being served to you?
The short answer is: clearing your TikTok cache alone will not change your FYP. While it may have a minor placebo effect in some cases, the algorithm has already learned and gathered enough signals to rebuild similar recommendations, even when the cache is wiped clean.
That said, clearing cache in combination with purposefully taking other actions can shift your FYP over time. Before we get into those other techniques, let’s understand why cache clearing alone often falls short:
Why Cache Clearing Alone Doesn’t Change Your TikTok FYP
There are a few core reasons why merely clearing cached data fails to drastically alter most users’ FYPs:
- TikTok’s algorithm has already profiled you – It has ingested enough of your viewing history and engagement data to understand your interests. Wiping local cache does not reset the algorithms’ insights about your preferences.
- The cache is quickly rebuilt – Within minutes of using the app again, your cache is restored as new videos are preloaded in your FYP, diminishing the intended effect of clearing it.
- Your core behavior remains the same – Simply clearing cache without changing what content you deliberately like, share, watch etc means the algorithm receives the same inputs it already had to recommend content.
- External factors remain – Things like your device, logged-in accounts, geographical location that influence recommendations do not change when local app cache is cleared.
- It’s temporary – Any minor effects from cache clearing are often temporary. Unless you also change habits, your FYP will revert within days or weeks as the newly cached data points algorithm back to your usual interests.
So in summary, while wiping the TikTok cache may provide a quick psychological refresh, it does not fundamentally restart the personalization and predictive power behind the FYP algorithm.
Your profile and patterns are already encoded in TikTok’s servers. To truly reroute your FYP, more substantive and lasting changes are required.
How to Really Reset Your TikTok FYP
If your goal is to genuinely recalibrate your FYP, clearing cache alone is not enough. Here are some suggested techniques to more effectively restart and refresh the TikTok algorithm:
1. Temporarily Follow New Accounts
One of the strongest signals for the FYP algorithm is who you follow. Following accounts relevant to your desired new interests heavily influences the recommendations you will receive.
For example, if you wish to see more cooking videos, search for top chefs and follow several cooking-focused accounts for a few days. Even after unfollowing them later, this inputs new data to redirect your FYP.
Following hashtag pages like #cooking or niche interests like #Koreanfood are also beneficial to reshape your FYP through who TikTok sees you engaging with.
2. Aggressively Interact with Different Content
Liking, sharing, commenting on and watching videos for extended periods that match your new interests helps retrain the FYP algorithm.
See a video about furniture building you want more of? Like it, rewatch it, follow the creator. This level of engagement is a strong signal to serve you more of that type of content.
Conversely, quickly scrolling past or tapping “Not Interested” on videos reflecting old interests tells the FYP you want less of it. Actively overriding the algorithm helps it learn in new directions.
3. Delete and Reinstall the App
Deleting and then redownloading the TikTok app can complement cache clearing by providing a more definitively fresh slate. Without all usage data locally stored, the algorithm has to rebuild your profile from scratch when you return.
Coupled with following new accounts and intentionally interacting with different content in the first day or two, this can accelerate rerouting your FYP before old viewing habits are reestablished.
4. Start Watching on a New Device
Your FYP is tailored to each specific device you use TikTok on. If you mostly watch on your phone, switching to a tablet or vice versa can quickly show you different content.
Again, combining this fresh device with purposeful engagement of desired content will teach the algorithm what you want to see on that new screen more quickly.
5. Use TikTok’s “Not Interested” Button More
TikTok provides a simple feedback mechanism to signal the content you don’t want to see more of. By tapping “Not Interested” on multiple videos you want excluded from your FYP, you directly communicate the types of content to minimize in your customized feed.
Consistently providing this negative feedback retrains the FYP algorithm faster to learn what to avoid recommending you. It’s like pruning weeds to help flowers flourish.
6. Limit Watching Behavior in the Evening
According to TikTok, the time of day you use the app factors into the recommendations you will see. This is based on noticing usage patterns.
For example, if you normally watch silly dancing videos at night, the algorithm serves up more of that late at night. But interacting with different content in the evenings can change this over time.
7. Let It Refresh Over Days and Weeks
Dramatically altering your FYP takes persistence and patience. Even with the right approach, it takes time for the algorithm calculation to converge around a new understanding of your preferences.
Expect the process to gradually improve your FYP over several days or weeks, rather than instant gratification. Full algorithm recalibration based on new behaviors can take a month or more.
8. Limit How Long You Spend on TikTok Each Session
Spending hours at a time on TikTok can reinforce your existing FYP tendencies, since the algorithm has more opportunity to inference patterns within a session.
Restricting your usage and app closes to shorter sessions limits this effect. Along with aforemention actions, briefly engaging the app makes it easier to nudge your FYP bit by bit.
Why Does the TikTok Algorithm Serve You Irrelevant Content Sometimes?
Even with a well-tuned FYP, TikTok users will occasionally find videos that seem completely unrelated to their interests in their feed. Why does this happen, and what purpose does this seemingly random content serve?
There are a few reasons you may encounter off-topic videos:
- Diversifying to avoid filter bubbles – TikTok wants to avoid only showing you an overly narrow band of content. Some randomness introduces serendipity and helps broaden user horizons.
- Demand for unpredictability – Strange videos users would never seek out creates some novelty and surprise that keeps the app interesting across all user age groups.
- Advertising opportunities – Videos from paid sponsors may enter your FYP to expose you to new products, even if not closely related to your typical viewing habits.
- Imperfect personalization – No algorithm is perfect. Irrelevant content sneaks into the FYP on occasion as the models make imperfect inferences about interests.
- Testing different recommendations – The FYP is constantly A/B testing content on users to improve its predictions. Some of these videos will miss the mark as it experiments.
- Inventory management – Fresh videos from accounts you don’t follow need viewership too, so TikTok inserts some of these into many FYPs.
So in summary, while the FYP aims to be hyper-personalized, TikTok allows some content diversity, randomness and business priorities to balance its pure personalization. But most content should still align with your preferences if the algorithm is working properly.
Tips for Parents to Reset Their Child’s TikTok FYP
For parents concerned about their child’s TikTok usage, resetting the FYP provides an opportunity to course correct the feed to more appropriate content. Here are tips for parents to refresh their kid’s TikTok recommendations:
- Have child follow more trusted accounts like family, schools, kid-safe creators
- Watch through initial FYP videos together and like/share the positive content
- Use screen time controls to limit overall TikTok usage
- Ask child to tap “Not Interested” on any dangerous or questionable videos
- Monitor the FYP daily to provide ongoing guidance and guardrails
- Download and login on child’s device to directly control the account
- Enable Restricted Mode to limit mature content exposure
- Frequently change account password to reset algorithm if needed
- Delete and reinstall TikTok app if ineffective at improving recommendations
The key for parents is to stay involved and proactively shape the FYP versus allowing it to determine the content passively consumed. With the right parental oversight and engagement, TikTok can be an enjoyable place for kids to safely express themselves and be entertained.
Conclusion
In summary, clearing your TikTok cache or data alone will generally not lead to a significant reset of your For You Page recommendations.
The powerful FYP algorithm has already developed enough understanding of your interests from prior usage patterns and engagement to rebuild a similar profile.
Coupled with authentic changes in content consumption and account follows, cache clearing may have minor positive impacts but is unlikely to redirect your FYP dramatically on its own.
With persistent and intentional adjustments to the signals you provide TikTok, more substantive rerouting of your FYP is possible over time. Just be prepared for the process to require patience and diligence before seeing your desired results.
