When using TikTok, you may sometimes try to open links from within the app only to find that the in-built web browser fails to open them.
This can be frustrating if you’re trying to click on links in TikTok videos or profiles.
There are a few potential reasons why TikTok’s in-app browser may not be working properly:
Reasons Why TikTok Web Browser May Not Work
Internet Connectivity Issues – The most common reason links won’t open in TikTok is because of problems with your internet connection. If you have a weak WiFi signal or limited mobile data, the browser may fail to load pages.
App Errors – Sometimes issues within the TikTok app itself, like software bugs or glitches, can prevent the in-app browser from working. Things like cached data or software crashes can break browser functionality.
Server Outages – Major outages on TikTok’s servers can also cause widespread issues with links not opening properly. When the servers go down, in-app features like the web browser are impacted.
Account Problems – In rare cases, problems with your individual TikTok account could potentially affect the web browser tool if there are caching or login issues.
If you’re running into issues with links not opening, don’t worry – there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to try and resolve this.
13 Fixes For TikTok Links Not Opening in the App (Web Browser Not Working)
Here are the best troubleshooting steps to try if links won’t load properly in TikTok:
1. Check Your Internet Connection
First, check that your WiFi or mobile internet is working properly outside of TikTok. Open your browser or other apps to confirm you have a solid internet connection.
You can check your internet connection using internet speed test websites.
These websites send data to a server and measure how long it takes to receive it back. This gives you an estimate of your download and upload speeds. Some popular options include:
- Speedtest by Ookla: [internet speed test ON Speedtest by Ookla]
- fast.com.
If websites and apps aren’t loading, focus on fixing your internet first before further TikTok troubleshooting.
Consider switching WiFi networks or disabling and re-enabling your mobile data to refresh the connection. Also try force closing other apps that utilize large amounts of bandwidth as this can interfere with TikTok.
2. Restart the TikTok App
If your internet seems fine, try restarting the TikTok app by fully closing it from your recent apps list. Then reopen TikTok and try opening links again.
Restarting will clear any cached memory issues that could be preventing the in-app browser from working.
You can also try manually shutting down from TikTok’s settings menu if a standard app restart doesn’t help. Give the app a few minutes before relaunching.
3. Restart Your Device
Failing the above steps, try fully rebooting your Android device or iPhone. This clears out any deeper issues at the operating system level that may disrupt browser functionality within TikTok.
Power down your phone completely then turn it back on and launch TikTok. Give your device 1-2 minutes to start back up before loading TikTok again. Just be sure to save any work first!
4. Check for TikTok Outages
It’s also possible your problems with TikTok web links are due to wider issues with TikTok’s servers going down. Checking sites like Downdetector can confirm if others are experiencing global TikTok problems.
Major outages will display obvious spikes in reported issues that confirm trouble accessing TikTok features. If there’s a clear server outage, troubleshooting your device further won’t help resolve link issues.
5. Sign Out and Back Into TikTok
Login issues with your personal TikTok account could potentially disrupt features like the in-app browser. Try fully signing out of TikTok then log back in with your username and password.
Logging out of TikTok is a simple process. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the TikTok app and go to your profile. You can find your profile by tapping on the silhouette icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Once on your profile page, locate the three-line menu icon in the top right corner. Tap on it and choose “Settings and privacy.”
- In the menu, scroll down to the bottom and find the option “Log Out.”
- A confirmation pop-up might appear asking if you’re sure you want to log out. Tap “Log Out” again to confirm.
Revoking and refreshing your authentication can help clear up browser problems tied specifically to your TikTok account rather than device-level issues.
6. Update the TikTok App
Make sure TikTok is fully up-to-date on your device. Bug fixes, optimizations, and improvements to app stability are constantly rolled out. Updating eliminates software bugs that may be crashing the web browser tool.
Here’s how to update TikTok on both iPhone and Android:
iPhone:
- Open the App Store.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to see “Available Updates”.
- If TikTok has “Update” next to it, tap that to update the app.
- Alternatively, you can tap “Update All” to update all apps with pending updates at once.
Android:
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- In the search bar, type “TikTok” and tap the search button.
- If an update is available, you’ll see an “Update” button. Tap that to update TikTok.
7. Clear Cache and App Data
If TikTok app updates don’t help, try wiping the app cache and data manually through your device settings or the TikTok interface. This will force the app to fully refresh which can clear up lingering data issues.
To clear the TikTok app cache:
- Open the TikTok app.
- Go to your profile tab (it’s the icon in the bottom right corner that looks like a person).
- Tap the three lines in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings and privacy.”
- Scroll down to “Cache and Cellular Data” and tap “Free up space.”
- You’ll see the amount of space the cache is using. Tap “Clear” next to “Cache” and confirm by tapping “Clear” again.
8. Reinstall the TikTok App
As a last resort, uninstall completely then reinstall TikTok from the app store. This will give you a fresh install which can help resolve persistent issues not fixed by other troubleshooting.
Just be sure to backup your TikTok account info first either via login or TikTok’s account transfer option on Android. You’ll have to login again after a full reinstall.
9. Disable VPN and Ad Blockers
If you use a VPN connection or ad blocking software on your device, try disabling those while using TikTok. VPNs and ad blockers can sometimes interfere with in-app browser functionality.
Turn off your VPN app and disable any ad blocker extensions then attempt to open TikTok links again. Just remember to re-enable security protection afterwards for general browsing.
10. Manually Enter Links
Instead of tapping links directly, try copying and pasting them manually into TikTok’s search bar. This loads the link via TikTok’s backend rather than the frontend in-app browser.
Sometimes manually entering links gives them an extra nudge to load properly. The link needs to be valid outside of TikTok for this method to work however.
11. Test Different Links
Check if the specific link failing is broken itself rather than a global TikTok issue. Validate the link opens in your normal mobile or desktop browser outside of TikTok first.
Also try a few different valid links within TikTok to see if it’s that specific URL or all links failing. If other links work fine, it points to issues with that particular web page instead.
12. Report Issues to TikTok
Even after trying the above, if visiting any links in TikTok still fails? Be sure to directly report technical issues through the app’s Help Center and Support teams describing the issue in detail.
TikTok engineers can then investigate why embedded browsers have stopped working account-wide rather than isolated link cases. Provide them info on troubleshooting you’ve already attempted to save time.
13. Await a Future App Update
In some cases, disruptive browser failures require over-the-air updates pushed out by TikTok to permanently fix rather than quick troubleshooting steps on your end.
Server-side changes may be the ultimate solution. Check the Play Store and App Store regularly after reporting issues to see if an app update resolves embedded browser problems.
Stay persistent trying the various techniques outlined here while concurrently reporting bugs to TikTok for deeper investigation by their technical teams. Browser issues can be tricky to pinpoint the source of – but a fix is likely already in development!
