The ‘For You’ tab shows videos from accounts the app thinks the user will enjoy. The ‘Following’ tab shows videos from accounts the user follows. Users can ‘duet’ with another user’s video so both videos are played next to each other. They can also shop and livestream on TikTok.
Users aged under 16 have their accounts automatically set to private and so only people they approve can follow them, view their profile or watch their videos (but they can switch to a public account). They are not able to access direct messaging or group chat and other people can’t download their videos. Under 18 accounts are not suggested to other people, including mutual connections. They have a default 60-minute viewing time and then must enter a passcode to continue using the app (but this time can be changed) . A user aged 18 or above has their account automatically set to public and they can livestream and can pay to send virtual gifts to a video.
TikTok’s parental controls are called ‘Family Pairing’. With a child’s agreement, using the TikTok app, parents can manage their child’s use of TikTok including privacy and safety settings, restricting adult content, the ability to search and comment as well as controlling who can send their child direct messages or like or comment on their videos. They can also set a screen time limit and prevent notifications at certain times. TikTok has safety settings that prevent other people from tagging them or from downloading their videos for example.
