Why Is My TikTok Not Working? Try These Solutions

You’re on a break and looking forward to 15 minutes of quick entertainment on TikTok. Or, perhaps you’ve finally finished editing your latest video, and you’re ready to post your take on a viral challenge. But wait. Your video is not showing. “Why is my TikTok not working?” The answer is usually simple, and you should be able to fix the problem yourself! 

Keep reading to learn our solutions and get your TikTok working again in no time.

Why Is TikTok Not Working? Top 5 Causes and Easy Fixes

You’re browsing the For You feed, and the videos keep pausing/stopping. You want to upload a video, but nothing’s happening. Or the app just won’t load at all. “Help! My TikTok is not working!” 

Don’t panic. Every now and then, TikTok users experience technical issues. It’s often frustrating when your browsing gets disrupted, but the issue is also easily fixable. 

Here are the top 5 causes of TikTok issues and how to fix them. 

1. Slow Internet Connection

A slow internet connection is the most common cause of videos lagging or not playing or the For You feed not refreshing. You can do an online speed test to check your internet connection and then try the following steps:

1. Restart your modem. 
2. Switch your device’s internet connection from WiFi to data. Try using the app to check if things are working normally. Switch back to WiFi and test the app again. 
3. Restart your device. Close all running apps first. 
4. Disconnect your device from your WiFi, and then reconnect it. 

If the problem is your internet connection, contact your service provider. ]

2. Outdated Software

If TikTok or your device OS recently released a new OS version, your app/device software may be outdated. Depending on your settings, your device may not automatically install new software updates when they become available. This means you’ll have to do it manually. 

If you’re not using the latest TikTok app or device OS version, you’ll likely encounter issues when running apps. Follow these steps to check if you need to install a TikTok update:

1. Open the Google Play Store or App Store. 
2. Search for TikTok. 
3. The Update button will appear if an update is available. Tap it. 

When your device has installed the update, you can also restart it for good measure before trying TikTok again. 

To ensure your device is automatically installing updates, just go to your settings. Here are the basic steps for iOS devices:

1. Go to Settings 
2. Tap General. 
3. Tap Software Update. 
4. Tap Automatic Updates, then turn on Download iOS Updates. 
5. Turn on Install iOS Updates.

Follow these steps for Android devices:

1. Go to Settings. 
2. Tap System, then System updates. 
3. Tap Download and Install. 
4. Tap the toggle beside Auto download over WiFi (or something similar) to turn it on. 

On other Android devices, you may just need to go to Settings>Software update>Download and install. 

3. Your App Cache Is Full

The TikTok app’s cache temporarily holds data and media files, such as videos, images, user profiles, and more. This makes the app run faster and use less data by reducing loading times. If you use TikTok often, you may need to clear your cache files regularly. Here’s how to do it. 

1. Tap the Profile icon in the bottom right. 
2. Tap the three-line icon in the top right.  
3. Select Settings and privacy. 
4. Under Cache & Cellular, tap Free up space. 
5. Tap Clear beside Cache. 

You may also want to clear your Downloads and Drafts if they take up a lot of space. 

4. Servers Are Down

If TikTok stopped working, another likely reason is that servers are down. You can easily verify this online to check if TikTok is down in your area. If this is the case, you’ll just have to sit tight and wait. Use this as an opportunity to take a quick social media detox or screen break. 

5. Malware

Did you receive a suspicious message in your email or TikTok inbox? Did you click on an unknown link from a message from an unknown sender? If your answer is yes, then you may have malware on your device. Malicious software or malware often waits for you at the end of suspicious links. 

Malware infects, steals, explores, or performs whatever task an attacker codes into it. If you unknowingly installed malware into your device, this may cause issues when running apps. 

To protect your device, make sure you have app protection software installed. Most new devices already include some type of protection software. You can also use this to scan your device for any threats.

Why Is My TikTok Not Working? Make Sure You Have a Backup Plan

Always have a backup plan. “Why is my TikTok not working?” This is the last thing you’d want to happen as a creator. Try the fixes above immediately to ensure your next scheduled post will post on time. 

Have a team of social media specialists to help you manage your page and guide your growth. Sign up for a High Social plan. You can schedule your posts beforehand and have another set of hands ready to take over in case of technical issues. 

Leverage  High Social’s advanced, proprietary AI solution to double your audience-targeting capability instantly. Start growing your TikTok today!

TikTok 101