Having used TikTok for a good number of years, the question “why can’t I follow people on TikTok” comes up quite often.
In summary;
If you can’t follow people on TikTok, It could be due to having reached the daily TikTok follow limit, a technical glitch with the app, or a restriction on your account.
Ensure that your app is updated, check your account settings, and try restarting your device before seeking further assistance.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the reasons why TikTok isn’t letting you follow people and I will provide some tips and tricks for fixing the problem.
Why can’t I follow people on TikTok?
If you’ve been asking yourself the question: ‘Why can’t I follow people on TikTok?’, there are a bunch of reasons why this may be happening. Some of the main reasons or possible causes include:
- TikTok following limit
TikTok has a limit on the number of accounts you can follow, though the specific number is not publicly disclosed by TikTok. Many sources however suggest that one TikTok account can only follow 10,000 accounts in total and only 200 accounts per day.
However, this limit may change and can also vary depending on the user’s account status, history, and activity.
If you find that you are unable to follow anyone, you may have reached the maximum number of accounts that you can follow, either on that particular day or in total. - Privacy issues
If you find yourself not being able to follow a specific user on TikTok, chances are that they probably blocked you, or that their privacy settings impede you from following, for example, if their account is private or limited to certain people. - TikTok shadow ban / temporary block
Your TikTok account can be shadow banned or temporarily blocked for suspicious activities like posting or promoting violent content, hate speech, etc.
If any of these have shown up on your account, TikTok usually restricts your account from following anyone as a warning.
However, if you think your account was banned/blocked in error, you may contact TikTok’s support team to request a review. - Device or app issues
If you are failing to follow people on your TikTok account, there may be an issue with your app or your device that is preventing you from doing so.
Additionally, it may be a problem with your internet connection. - TikTok thinks you’re a bot
If you are using a public network, the TikTok algorithm may mistakenly categorize you as a bot because you may be sharing an IP address with another device(s) hence restricting you from following any more accounts or performing regular account activities.
The good news is that as soon as the algorithm clears this doubt about your account, you will regain the ability to follow.
But you can speed the solution along by changing your account’s password or connecting to a private network.
It is important to remember that TikTok has strict community guidelines in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all users, so it is crucial to follow these guidelines to avoid being flagged or banned. - The TikTok server is down
When the TikTok server is down; maybe due to routine maintenance or any other issues, your request to follow an account can’t be processed.
You can check the TikTok server status with the help of DownDetector
If your failure to follow people was brought on by the TikTok server being down, there’s nothing you can do but wait for the downtime to pass and then try again.
How to Fix “TikTok Not Letting Me Follow People” Issue
Note that TikTok restricts you from following other users when you violate TikTok’s terms and conditions.
When you follow someone on TikTok and it automatically unfollows, you consider doing the following;
- Wait for Some time
When you follow too many people in a short time or if you hit the following limit, TikTok stops you from following anyone else for a while.
The best thing you can do in this case is to wait for a few hours or for a day to resume your “follow” activities. - Update TikTok App
Older versions of any app may contain some bugs and sync problems, TikTok is no exception. To get rid of this problem you need to update your app.
Press that Update button, and your app will start upgrading to the latest version both on Android (play store) and iOS (app store).
Also Read: Why Won’t TikTok Let Me Link My Instagram
- Clear the cache
A lack of regular cache file removal may lead to a sluggish TikTok app because it won’t be able to process commands and requests fast enough. Therefore you need to clear the cache of your Tiktok app.
You can clear your TikTok app cache directly from your profile by going to your TikTok Settings, under Cache & Cellular, going to Free up space, and then clearing your cache.
Go to Settings > Apps or Apps and Notifications, look for TikTok, click on it, then go to Storage and Clear TikTok’s cache.
- Relaunch or Reinstall your TikTok app
Sometimes, a simple logout and login action can go a long way in sorting bugs out.
If this does not work then you can go as far as deleting and reinstalling your TikTok app.
To do this simply navigate to your device’s home page, and uninstall or delete the app.
Reinstalling the app will delete most of the app’s settings, data, and clear cache which might help to refresh it.
Alternatively, if the following failure problem is only limited to the mobile app version of TikTok, you can opt to use TikTok web version.
You can simply log in to the desktop version of TikTok, TikTok.com, and enjoy using your following feature and other features until the app issue is resolved. - Contact TikTok Support
After trying out all the above solutions, if you still can’t find the root of your problem, you can email TikTok support directly and report your issue with specific details, hopefully, they’ll be able to help you in the shortest time possible.
Here are the contacts you can use:
Account support: [email protected] , [email protected] , or [email protected]
For Business support: [email protected]
Also, Tiktok’s official Twitter account may solve your problem:
@TikTokSupport
@tiktokcreators
FAQs
How many users can you follow on TikTok per day and hour?
You can follow not more than 200 accounts per day and 25-30 accounts. Remember the total following cab is at 10,000 accounts.
However, If you follow too many people at a fast speed, TikTok might become suspicious of your account and consider it spam or a bot which may lead to it being shadowbanned.
Why can’t I follow anyone on Tiktok?
If you can’t follow people on TikTok, there could be a few possible reasons why including:
-As mentioned earlier, TikTok has a following limit. If you have reached this limit, you won’t be able to follow any more accounts until you unfollow some of your current following.
-Violation of TikTok’s community guidelines could lead to your account being temporarily suspended or banned, hence preventing you from following new accounts or engaging with other users on the app.
-Occasionally, TikTok may experience technical issues that prevent users from following other accounts.
Follow the recommended fixes to try and sort your ‘TikTok can’t follow anyone’ issue.
If you’re still unable to follow anyone on TikTok after checking these possibilities, you may want to contact TikTok’s support team for assistance.
How long do you remain restricted from following people on TikTok?
There’s no specific period set for the blockage, the time may depend on what caused the restriction on your account, and on the TikTok algorithm.
Generally, it may range from a few hours to even 3 days.
Also note that the newer the account, the longer the restriction time. While the older the account, the shorter the restriction time.
What happens if I follow too much on TikTok?
If you follow too many accounts or too quickly, you may receive this error; “following too fast” and your following privileges may be removed; meaning you can’t follow people on TikTok for a while, 24 hours at most.
Or you may notice that when you follow someone it automatically unfollows, this means you’ve overdone it as well, so wait.
How do I know if I’ve reached the following limit on TikTok?
To check if you’ve reached the following limit;
Go to your profile and tap the “Following” tab. If you see a message that says “You’ve reached your following limit,” then you’ve hit the maximum number of accounts you can follow on the app.
Can I increase the following limit on TikTok?
No, you cannot increase the following limit on TikTok. The limit is set by the app and is in place to prevent spamming and to ensure that users are engaging with content that they are truly interested in.
the moment you reach the following limit, you will start experiencing the “Tiktok won’t let me follow anyone” problem.
How can I avoid TikTok’s restrictions on following others?
To avoid TikTok’s restrictions on following others, make sure to follow the app’s community guidelines, engage in authentic activity on the app, and avoid spammy or suspicious behaviour.
Additionally, make sure to regularly post content and engage with other users on the app to establish your account as an active and legitimate presence on TikTok.
When i follow someone on TikTok, it automatically unfollow
When a user follows someone on TikTok, there seems to be an automatic unfollowing mechanism in place, resulting in users being automatically unfollowed from the accounts they choose to follow.
This peculiar feature, observed and reported by numerous users, has raised concerns and confusion within the TikTok community.
The exact reasons behind this phenomenon remain unclear, as TikTok’s algorithm and internal mechanisms are closely guarded secrets.
Nevertheless, this automatic unfollowing glitch has been a topic of discussion among users who express their frustration and disappointment when they discover that they have been unexpectedly unfollowed from accounts they intended to stay connected with.
Conclusion
If you have ever found yourself wondering “Why can’t I follow people on TikTok?”, hope this article has helped you understand that TikTok may limit your following privileges for any of the aforementioned reasons.
Often, you can solve this with something as simple as waiting it out, clearing your cache, updating your app, or even reinstalling your app.
However, there are situations when the problem may be beyond your control and you may require a “higher power” to intervene, in which case you must get in touch with the TikTok support team.
