7 Important Tips to Protect Your TikTok Account

TikTok is hugely popular worldwide, even with the dark cloud of a potential ban hanging over it in the U.S. Unfortunately, as much as people use it to get their brands and creativity out there, some use it for crime.

If you have a TikTok account, you must take the necessary steps to secure it against hacking and data theft. It does not matter whether you represent a brand or if you are an influencer. Keeping your account secure is a must to protect your information, content, and, ultimately, yourself.

Here are some of the most important strategies to secure your account.

7. Always Use a Strong Password

It is incredible that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of TikTok users have weak passwords. This often makes it easy for hackers to infiltrate a TikTok account.

To secure your TikTok account, you must use a strong password. This means at least 12 characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters, and numbers.

Do not use names (yours, your children’s, or your pet’s). Do not use birthdays or even common words. If you want to make it impossible for hackers to enter your account, you must get creative.

For instance, you can use the name of a 90s cartoon in conjunction with your number and a phrase or word you like. The more unusual the password, the better.

6. Ensure Your Account Stays Updated

You should always keep apps updated, including TikTok. You get the latest software with stronger security measures whenever you update your TikTok app. This helps to ensure that your account is never weak or vulnerable to cybercrime.

It is very easy to keep your app updated. You can manually run an update using the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or you can simply enable automatic updates.

5. Do Not Ignore Requests to Implement 2FA

Yes, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is annoying. However, for an extra five seconds of annoyance, you get fantastic security for your TikTok account.

All you need to do is go to the Settings option in your app. Open Privacy and Safety and scroll to Two Factor Authentication 2FA. You may also see Login Verification as an option. Open this and choose your preferred verification format.

You can get a message or email or verify your login through Google Authenticator. When you get your first verification notification, your 2FA is active.

4. Keep Track of Your Account Activity

You should know your TikTok account like the back of your hand. This means monitoring it for any strange activity. You want to keep an eye on unauthorized interactions. You can turn on notifications for this, which means you will be notified if someone tries to hack your account or posts on your behalf.

If you get notifications when you log in, you can also spot different locations. As soon as you see an unfamiliar location, it is a sure sign of hacking.

Make some time to check your follower list. If you do this regularly, you can remove unfamiliar or suspicious-looking accounts. You should also watch out for direct messages with links. Hackers use this method to trick TikTok users into submitting personal information.

3. Ignore and Delete Suspicious Links

Whatever you do, do not just click on any link you receive via DM or in comments. A hacker can easily make a fake link look like a real one. If you click on it, you are already unwittingly giving away information.

Avoid shortened links, and check whether a link has a tiktok.com domain before you click on it. If there are weird characters or a bunch of numbers, just do not open it.

Moreover, never click on links shared by people you do not know. Delete the link if you are unfamiliar with the account or user.

2. Update Your Interaction Settings

Changing how other users interact with your content on TikTok is possible. There are comments and messaging options to choose from within the Privacy menu. For better security, you can turn off the view history for your posts, like videos and profiles.

At the same time, you can restrict TikTok’s access to your personal information. This means TikTok is blocked from accessing your contact list.

1. Stay Away From Third-Party Apps

Only use third-party apps if you have to. If you do use third-party apps, they will often be suggested via a link. Only click on links that are verified and can be used with TikTok. If anything looks off, do not click on a link.

Keep an eye out for clear scams like ‘You’ve won a prize; click here,’ or ‘Get free followers right now by clicking this link.’

What to Do If Your Account Is Hacked

Your account is vulnerable to hacking if you have not yet implemented the necessary security measures. If you get a notification that your profile password or phone number has been changed, your account has likely been hacked.

The same goes if your username or nickname changes or videos suddenly appear on your profile. You may also notice messages being posted that you did not write.

If you think you have been hacked, you should reset your password. You can do this under the settings and privacy settings. If you cannot reset your password, use TikTok’s account recovery process to get into your account.

Once you have reset your password, navigate to settings and privacy settings and choose security. Remove all the devices you do not recognize under ‘select your devices.’

Speaking of settings and privacy, you must keep updated with TikTok’s evolving privacy policies and security measures. This way, you can keep your account protected permanently.

You Do Not Need Advanced Skills to Protect Your TikTok Account

To protect your account, you just need to be proactive and vigilant, keeping track of what your followers and activity should look like. Using the above steps, you can keep your account secure and reduce the risk of hacking.