TikTok’s sound search feature is a great way to find new audio clips and songs to use in your videos. But what do you do when the sound search stops working or doesn’t show any results? This frustrating issue seems to happen to TikTok users rather frequently.
In this post, I’ll walk you through some troubleshooting steps to try and get TikTok’s sound search working again. Whether the sound search is completely broken or just not showing results relevant to what you’re searching for, this guide will help you get it functional so you can enhance your TikTok videos.
Stick with me and I’ll explain what’s going on when TikTok sound search breaks and provide actionable tips to fix it. With the right fixes, you can get the sound search tool working properly again so you can insert amazing audio into your next viral TikTok video.
How to Fix TikTok Sound Search Not Working
1. Check Your Internet Connection
The most common reason the TikTok sound search doesn’t work is an unstable internet connection. TikTok relies on a steady internet connection to load sounds and music from its massive library.
Checking your internet connection and troubleshooting any issues is the first step to take when sound search isn’t working. Here are some specific things you can try:
Restart your phone or connect to a different WiFi network. Restarting your device can often fix minor connectivity problems by refreshing the network connection. If that doesn’t help, connect to a different WiFi network or switch to mobile data to determine if the issue is your current network.
Run a speed test to measure your bandwidth. Use a speed testing site to check your internet speeds. Consistently slow speeds under 25 Mbps download can disrupt apps from functioning properly. If your speed tests show slow results, contact your internet service provider for help troubleshooting.
Forget the network on your device and reconnect. On an iPhone, go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Tap the “i” next to your network > Forget this Network. This will erase any stored connection issues. Then reconnect to your WiFi. On Android, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Tap your network > Forget. Try reconnecting after forgetting which often resolves network problems.
Check if other apps are having connectivity issues. Open web-based apps like Facebook, YouTube, Gmail and try loading content. If they have problems loading, it may indicate a larger issue with your network connection unrelated to TikTok.
By thoroughly checking your internet connection, you can determine if the sound search issue stems from a network connectivity problem versus something wrong with the TikTok app specifically.
2. Update the TikTok App
An outdated version of the TikTok app can also cause problems with sound search functionality. TikTok frequently releases updates to fix bugs and improve features.
Updating to the latest TikTok version can help resolve sound search not working. Here are the steps:
On iPhone, open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and view available app updates. Scroll down and tap “Update” next to TikTok to install the latest iOS version.
On Android, open the Google Play Store, tap your profile picture, go to Manage Apps & Devices > Updates Available and tap “Update” next to TikTok.
If auto-updates are disabled on your device, make sure to periodically check for new TikTok updates which may contain critical bug fixes. An outdated app can lead to issues like sound search not functioning.
After updating, open TikTok and try searching for sounds again. The app update may have included fixes for any search problems you were experiencing. Keeping TikTok updated is key for enjoying the best experience.
3. Reinstall the TikTok App
If updating TikTok doesn’t resolve the sound search issues, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. This essentially resets the app and clears out any corrupted files or cached data that may be causing the problems.
Here is how to reinstall TikTok:
On iPhone, press and hold the TikTok icon until the apps wiggle. Then tap the X icon on TikTok to uninstall it. Open the App Store, search for TikTok, and reinstall it.
On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > See All Apps > TikTok and tap Uninstall. Then open the Play Store, search for TikTok, and reinstall.
After reinstalling TikTok, try using sound search again to see if the problem is fixed. Reinstalling gives you a clean slate by wiping any potential app data corruption.
4. Log Out and Back In
Logging out of TikTok and back into your account can also help reboot sound search issues. This forces TikTok to freshly sync your account details and reset any temporary bugs.
Here are the steps to log out and back in:
Open TikTok and tap your profile icon. Go to the Settings & Privacy menu and select “Log out”. Confirm logging out.
Force close the TikTok app. Then reopen TikTok, enter your username and password, and log back into your account.
Logging out resets locally stored account data and initiates a fresh sync. Any glitches impacting features like sound search may be resolved after logging out and back in.
5. Clear the App Cache and Data
Over time, cached data and app data can become large or corrupted which slows down the performance of apps like TikTok. Clearing the TikTok cache and app data gives the app a fresh start which can fix sound search problems.
Here is how to clear the cache and data:
On iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Tap on TikTok, then tap “Offload App” to clear cached files. Open TikTok and log back in.
On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > TikTok. Tap Storage & Cache > Clear Cache and Clear Data. This wipes the existing data and cache.
Here are the steps to clear the TikTok cache from within the app:
- Open the TikTok app on your device.
- Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
- Tap on the 3-line menu icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
- Tap on “Clear cache” under “Storage”.
- Tap on “Clear” to clear the TikTok app’s cache.
Clearing this old data forces the TikTok app to rebuild its data files and caches from scratch. Doing this periodically can help resolve issues caused by corrupted data being stored locally.
6. Grant Microphone Permissions
The TikTok app requires access to your phone’s microphone in order to record audio when searching for sounds. If TikTok is denied microphone access, it can definitely disrupt the sound search feature.
Double-check that TikTok is allowed microphone permissions:
On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and make sure TikTok is toggled on.
On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Advanced > App Permissions > Microphone and check TikTok.
If microphone access is disabled for TikTok, toggle it on to grant permissions. TikTok needs this access so you can record voiceovers and audio when searching for sounds.
7. Check for App Limitations
Some parental control apps and organization profiles put restrictions on apps which can block certain features. For example, a restriction may be placed on TikTok that disables sound recording capabilities.
If your device is managed, check for any limitations that could prevent TikTok’s sound search from functioning properly. Removing the restrictions would resolve this type of issue.
On iPhone, check under Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. On Android, check the Google Family Link or other parental control app. Contact your organization’s IT department for any imposed restrictions.
Any limitations blocking sound recording or microphone access will need to be removed to allow TikTok’s sound search to work properly.
8. Contact TikTok Support
If you still can’t get TikTok’s sound search working after trying all troubleshooting steps, you should reach out to their customer support team.
You can submit a support request directly in the TikTok app:
Tap your profile > Settings & privacy > Report a problem > Sound issues > Sound search not working.
Thoroughly describe the issues you’re experiencing and submit the request. The TikTok support team may be able to provide specialized troubleshooting tips or identify any problems on their end.
Communicate details like your device, OS version, and what you’ve tried so far. This will help TikTok support properly diagnose the sound search problem.
9. Wait for an App Update
In some cases, TikTok sound search issues are caused by a bug in the current app version that hasn’t been patched yet. The only option may be to wait until TikTok rolls out an app update that addresses the bugs.
To ensure you receive updates as soon as they are available, make sure automatic app updates are enabled in your device’s app store settings.
You can also check the TikTok release notes for any bug fix mentions related to sound search in newer versions before updating.
While waiting for an update isn’t ideal, it may eventually resolve your sound search problems if they are caused by an unpatched bug.
Following this comprehensive troubleshooting guide should help you isolate the cause and get TikTok’s sound search working again. With the right sounds and music, you can take your TikTok videos to the next level.
