How To Stop Following Someone on TikTok

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Carolyn Howell

Last Updated: May 21, 2024

TikTok Tips
Want More Real TikTok Followers?

Who you follow on social media says a lot about you. It informs algorithms and other users of your content preferences, passions, values, and interests. There are times when we quickly hit someone’s follow button after watching their viral video. Beyond this single video, however, we may later discover that we have nothing in common with them. It’s also natural for a person’s needs to change over time. Learn how to stop following someone on TikTok to give your For You feed a content stream makeover.

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Unfollow Accounts That No Longer Suit Your Needs

There are plenty of good reasons to unfollow accounts on TikTok. You may have been too hasty in hitting someone’s follow button based on a single, popular video. The account may have shifted its content focus and no longer meets your needs. You may have discovered that the person has tons of bought followers. Or, perhaps your interests have simply changed.

Unfollowing accounts is one way to refresh your For You feed. When you unfollow accounts or hit “Not interested” on certain videos, you help TikTok’s algorithm curate a more personalized feed experience for you. But if you want to start from zero, you can always completely reset your For You feed recommendations.

Hit someone’s unfollow button when you find their videos interesting anymore or, worse when their content is objectionable. Unfollow profiles that turn out to be fake. Remove someone from your following list if doing so will enhance your TikTok experience.

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How To Stop Following Someone on TikTok: Steps To Disengage

So, how do you unfollow TikTok profiles? Just follow these steps:

  1. Go to your Profile. 
  2. Tap the Following button beneath your profile image. 
  3. Go through your Following list, and tap Following next to the names of those you want to unfollow. 
  4. Alternatively, you can use the search bar to find the profile you want to unfollow. 
  5. Tap the correct profile, then tap the profile icon with the check mark underneath their profile image. The check mark indicates that you’re following the account. Tapping the profile icon will automatically remove them from your following list.

A picture of black cut-out letters spelling the word “GOODBYE.”

How To Stop Someone From Following You on TikTok

The people who follow and engage with you also shape your TikTok experience and your followers. When certain followers become problematic or unsuitable for your nurturing community, you can remove them from your TikTok social circle. Here’s how to stop someone from following you on TikTok:

  1. Go to your Profile. 
  2. Tap your Follower list. 
  3. Go through your list and tap the three dots beside the profile you want to remove. 
  4. Tap Remove this follower.

Here’s a second option to remove a follower:

  1. Go to the person’s profile. 
  2. Tap the profile icon beneath their profile image. 
  3. Tap Unfollow.

If you don’t want the person to engage with you in any way or view your content on TikTok, you can block them. One way to do this is through your video’s comments section.

  1. Find the person’s comment on your video and long-press it. T
  2. ap Manage multiple comments. 
  3. Select the profile, then tap More at the bottom. 
  4. Select Block accounts.

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How To Find the Right Accounts To Follow on TikTok

TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is highly effective when matching accounts and videos that match user interests. Its uncanny precision is one of the reasons the platform is so addictive. By carefully choosing profiles to follow and videos you interact with, you can properly inform the algorithm of how to curate a selection of accounts and content that may align with your needs.

You can also use TikTok’s search tool to look for specific accounts or videos. Type a keyword or hashtag relevant to your interests, and TikTok will show you results that best match your search.

Adjust your privacy settings if you want to find people you may already know through other social channels, mutual connections, or in real life. Turn on the Suggest your account to others options (your phone contacts, Facebook friends, or people who open or send links to you). Sync contacts and Facebook friends. These two privacy features allow TikTok to find people you may already know and want to follow. 

Readjust Your TikTok Strategy To Adapt To Changing Trends

Growth on social media is a continuous process of optimized targeting and recalibration to keep up with audiences’ changing needs and an industry’s evolving trends. You should always be on the lookout for the latest thing. Keep your eyes peeled for videos or topics with a high potential to go viral. You need to be quick to spot rising creators and artists. Change happens in the blink of an eye on social media, and you need to be quick in your response to stay relevant.

Remember that the types of accounts you follow and interact with are major factors that TikTok considers when recommending new accounts and videos to you. They also help TikTok identify users with whom you may share interests and who may want to follow you. So, once in a while, reviewing the accounts you follow to see if your interests are still aligned may help reorient and reoptimize your growth.

Knowing how to stop following someone on TikTok is just one way to fine-tune TikTok’s matchmaking process. Signing up for a High Social plan is another. With High Social’s advanced, proprietary audience-targeting AI tool, you can target more of the right audiences for your content. Deliver your videos to the feeds of genuinely interested users who will become instant followers.  Start growing your TikTok today!

TikTok Tips