TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. A core feature of TikTok is the ability to follow other users and have a customized feed based on who you follow.
However, many users encounter issues with their TikTok following not properly updating, working or showing.
If you are having problems with your TikTok follow feed not working correctly, this post will walk you through all the main troubleshooting steps to try and get it fixed.
We will cover the likely reasons why your TikTok following is not updating or showing properly, along with actionable tips to troubleshoot and resolve the issues.
Why Your TikTok Following May Not Be Updating, Working or Showing
Before jumping into the troubleshooting steps, it’s helpful to understand some of the common reasons why your TikTok following feed and notifications may not be working correctly:
Internet Connectivity Issues
One of the most obvious causes of TikTok feed problems is having a weak internet connection, whether on Wi-Fi or cellular data. TikTok requires a stable internet connection to properly load new content and notifications from accounts you follow. Check that you have a strong Wi-Fi or LTE/5G signal wherever you are accessing TikTok.
Outdated App Version
Using an outdated version of the TikTok app can also cause following and notifications to break. Make sure you are running the latest version of TikTok, as older app versions may have bugs that affect the follow feed.
Follow Limit Reached
TikTok limits users to only following a certain number of accounts per day as an anti-spam measure. If you have hit the daily follow limit, you may be temporarily blocked from following more accounts or receiving notifications.
Glitches and Bugs
Like any app, TikTok can suffer from glitches or bugs that affect certain features. Following and notifications breaking could stem from a bug on TikTok’s end. Usually, these are resolved within a few days.
Account Restrictions or Bans
In some cases, if your TikTok account has been temporarily restricted or banned for violating policies, your ability to follow or interact with other accounts may be limited. This depends on the specifics of the restriction placed on your account.
Server Outages
During heavy server load or outages, TikTok services like following and notifications can become temporarily unavailable. Typically server issues are resolved within hours.
Now that you understand why your TikTok following may not be updating or showing properly, let’s go through all the troubleshooting steps to try and get it working again.
Troubleshooting TikTok Following Not Updating, Working or Showing
Follow this comprehensive troubleshooting guide to debug TikTok following and notification issues:
1. Check Your Internet Connection
The first step is always to check that you have a stable, strong internet connection on your device, whether on Wi-Fi or cellular data.
- If on Wi-Fi, make sure you are connected to your Wi-Fi network and that the signal strength is good. Restart your router if needed.
- For cellular data, check that you have an LTE, 4G or 5G connection with adequate signal bars.
- Run a speed test on your device to verify your download and upload speeds are sufficient, especially for streaming video content. Google Fiber Internet Speed Test is one effective tool you can use for testing your internet connection.
- Try disabling Wi-Fi and using cellular data instead or vice versa.
- Move closer to your router if the Wi-Fi signal is weak in your location.
Having a fast, reliable internet connection rules out any network-related causes for your TikTok feed not loading new content or follow notifications not coming through.
2. Restart the TikTok App
A simple app restart is one of the easiest troubleshooting steps for any mobile app issue. Close TikTok completely from the background and reopen it. This will clear out any temporary glitches.
- On iOS – double press the home button and swipe up on the TikTok preview to fully close it.
- On Android – open the Recents/Active Apps view and swipe TikTok away to close it.
- Now restart the TikTok app normally.
Restarting the app will often resolve temporary bugs preventing your feed from updating properly or notifications coming through.
3. Check for TikTok App Updates
Using an outdated version of the TikTok app is a common reason for notifications and following issues. New app versions contain bug fixes, performance improvements and optimizations.
Android:
- Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
- Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner.
- Select My apps & games.
- In the “Updates” tab, look for TikTok.
- If an update is available, tap the “Update” button next to it.
- Alternatively, you can search for “TikTok” in the Play Store search bar and tap the “Update” button if available on the app page.
iPhone:
- Open the App Store app on your iPhone.
- Tap the account icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and look for TikTok in the list of apps with available updates.
- Tap the “Update” button next to TikTok.
- Alternatively, you can search for “TikTok” in the App Store search bar and tap the “Update” button on the app page.
Make sure to enable automatic app updates on your device so you are always running the newest version of the TikTok app.
4. Log Out and Log Back Into TikTok
If your following feed is stuck or you are not receiving notifications, logging out and back into your TikTok account can help resolve it.
- Open TikTok > Tap the Profile icon > Tap the three dot Settings icon > Select “Log out”. Confirm logging out.
- Close the TikTok app completely after logging out. Wait a minute or two.
- Relaunch the TikTok app and log back into your account with your username and password.
- Check if your following feed starts updating normally and notifications come through again after logging back in.
Logging out resets your account which often resolves temporary glitches on your following activity and notifications.
5. Clear the TikTok App Cache
Clearing cached data for TikTok will delete any corrupt temporary files that may be interfering with your follow feed or notifications.
On iOS:
- Go to iPhone Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Find TikTok in the list of apps and tap on it.
- Tap “Offload App” to clear TikTok’s cache. Then reinstall TikTok.
On Android:
- Open phone Settings > Apps & Notifications > See all apps.
- Find TikTok and tap on it.
- Select Storage & Cache > Clear Cache.
- Confirm clearing TikTok’s cache and restart the app.
After clearing TikTok’s cached data, your following and notifications should start working normally again.
6. Reinstall the TikTok App
If you are still having follow or notification issues after the previous steps, completely uninstalling and reinstalling the TikTok app can resolve deep-rooted problems.
On iOS:
- Hold your finger down on the TikTok icon until the options appear.
- Tap Remove App > Confirm removing. This will delete TikTok and all of its data.
- Go to the App Store and re-download the latest version of TikTok. Log into your account.
On Android:
- Open Settings > Apps & Notifications > See all apps > TikTok.
- Tap Uninstall and confirm removing TikTok.
- In the Play Store, search for TikTok, install it again and log in.
Reinstalling TikTok gives you a clean slate, which will fix any corrupt files causing the issues. Download all updates after reinstalling.
7. Check TikTok App Permissions
Glitchy behavior with TikTok following and notifications could stem from permission issues. Ensure TikTok has all the required permissions enabled.
On iOS:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Camera > Ensure TikTok has camera access enabled.
- In Settings go to Privacy > Photo > Enable TikTok’s photo permissions.
- Check Privacy > Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Microphone – enable all permissions.
On Android:
- Open Settings > Apps & Notifications > TikTok.
- Enable all permissions like Camera, Contacts, Microphone, SMS, Storage.
Granting the necessary permissions allows TikTok to function smoothly without limitations.
9. Unfollow and Re-Follow Specific Accounts
If your feed is not updating with posts from certain accounts you follow, try unfollowing and re-following those specific accounts.
- In your Following list, find accounts that are not showing posts. Tap Following > Unfollow to unfollow them.
- After unfollowing the accounts, go to their profiles and refollow them.
- This forces TikTok to re-establish them in your Following feed and pull their new posts/lives.
- You can also turn Following notifications on for these accounts from their profile to be notified when they post.
Unfollowing and re-following is a handy trick to refresh your feed and notifications from accounts that seem stuck or inactive. Follow limits do not apply when refollowing.
10. Contact TikTok Support
If you have tried all the troubleshooting steps and your TikTok following, feed and notifications are still not working properly, you should directly contact TikTok support for additional help.
- Open the TikTok app and go to your profile.
- Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select “Settings and privacy” and then “Report a problem.”
- Choose a relevant topic for your issue and follow the prompts. You can also choose “Other” and describe your problem in detail.
- The support team may be able to provide personalized troubleshooting or determine if account restrictions are limiting your activity.
TikTok support will investigate further and either resolve any lingering app issues or account problems that are affecting your ability to follow other users.
Ensure Your TikTok Account is Set to Public
If your TikTok account is set to private, this can prevent your following feed from updating properly. Double check that your TikTok profile is set to public:
- Go to your TikTok profile > Tap the three dot menu > Select Privacy and Safety.
- Make sure the Account Privacy toggle is switched to Public so anyone can view your profile and activity.
Having a private account on TikTok can interfere with your ability to follow new accounts and receive notifications. Switch it to public as part of troubleshooting.
Try Using the TikTok Website
Another option is to access TikTok on the web at tiktok.com and check if your following feed works properly through the web interface.
- Log into your TikTok account on the website and go to your Following feed.
- This can help determine if the issues are isolated to the mobile app only or exist on TikTok’s backend across platforms.
Using TikTok through the web browser is one more troubleshooting avenue to test your account’s functionality when the mobile app has problems.
Conclusion
When your TikTok following is not updating, showing posts, sending notifications or working properly, it can be incredibly frustrating.
This comprehensive troubleshooting guide has outlined the full spectrum of solutions to try and diagnose what is causing functionality problems related to following accounts and revive your broken TikTok feed.
By methodically applying the right troubleshooting techniques, you can isolate the root causes – whether it is network issues, app bugs, follow limits or account restrictions. Clearing app cache, reinstalling the app, logging out and back in, or simply restarting your device are easy fixes for common TikTok issues that restore normal functionality when following accounts and receiving notifications.
If problems persist, directly engaging TikTok support provides another resolution pathway via their in-depth account investigations and troubleshooting assistance. With the steps provided above, your TikTok following ability should be restored, ensuring you don’t miss any of those viral TikTok moments.
