Lorene Melone
How To Secure Your TikTok Account Privacy on PC in 2025
In today’s digital age, privacy is kinda becoming a big deal, especially on platforms like TikTok. Turning your account private basically puts a wall around your videos — only folks you approve can see your stuff. If you haven’t done this yet, here’s how to do it on your desktop. Spoiler: it’s pretty straightforward but, of course, TikTok has to make it a little harder than necessary.
Step 1: Log Into Your TikTok Account
First, open up your favorite browser on your PC and head to TikTok’s website. Find the Log In button at the top right and get in. You’re gonna need your username and password—nothing fancy here. Sometimes, if you’re using a different device or browser, you might get stuck or have to verify via email or SMS. Just a heads up, sometimes login fails on first try, so don’t get too frustrated if it doesn’t work immediately.
Step 2: Access Your Profile
Once you’re in, click on that little profile icon in the top right corner. A dropdown menu should pop up where you’ll see Profile. Click it and now you’re on your account page. From here, you can control a bunch of settings—privacy included.
Step 3: Open Account Settings
On your profile page, look for the gear icon—yeah, the Settings icon—usually up top next to Edit Profile. Click on it. That opens up a menu with all sorts of stuff. If you’re like me, I’ve seen some weird glitches where the menu takes forever to load, or the icons don’t respond. Just refresh and try again.
Step 4: Navigate to Privacy Settings
In the menu, find and click on the Privacy tab (sometimes in a side menu or at the top, depending on what version of the site you’re on). This is where you get to control who sees your videos, comments, and all that jazz. If the options look a bit hidden, look for something labeled ‘Privacy & Settings’ or similar.
Step 5: Toggle Your Account Privacy
This is the main part. Look for Private Account. You’ll see a toggle switch next to it. Not sure why, but on some setups, clicking it works the first time, but on others, you might have to toggle it a couple of times or even reload the page. Flip that sucker to On. That’s it — you just made your account private. From now on, only people you approve can follow you or see your videos. Keep in mind, existing followers remain unless you decide to block or remove them separately.
Step 6: Confirm Your Changes
Once you toggle it, I’d double-check other privacy options—likes, comments, duets, stuff like that—to make sure everything’s set how you want. No point making your account private and then letting strangers comment or duet with your videos if that’s not your thing. After that, just close the menu. Done.
Step 7: Switching Back (Making Your Account Public Again)
If at some point you want to open up again, just repeat the steps: head to Settings > Privacy and toggle the Private Account switch to Off. Easy. Remember though, sometimes TikTok’s interface is inconsistent, so on one device it might work smoothly, and on another, you might have to unfurl some extra menus or give it a second try.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Here’s what tends to trip people up:
- Settings sometimes revert after a TikTok update, so check periodically if your account still stays private.
- When approving followers, be selective or you might end up with spam bots. Always review requests carefully.
- If things are dragging or the page isn’t updating right, clear your browser cache or switch to a different browser. Sometimes, TikTok just isn’t responsive.
A little fun fact: I’ve noticed that after changing privacy settings, a quick browser refresh or relogin can fix weird display issues. Not sure why it works, but it’s worth a shot.
Conclusion
Making your TikTok account private on PC isn’t a huge ordeal, but it’s definitely not as smooth as it could be. Still, if privacy matters, it’s worth the clicks. And keeping an eye on those settings every now and then is a good idea — because of course, TikTok likes to sneak things around with updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when I make my account private?
Only users you’ve approved can see your videos and follow you. Existing followers stay, but new ones need your approval first. Pretty straightforward but still, it’s nice to have control.
Can I make my account public again?
Absolutely. Just toggle that Private Account switch off in the privacy menu, and you’re back to open-sauce for everyone.
How can I manage who follows me?
When someone sends a follow request, you get a notification. It’s a simple approve or deny—so you get to decide who gets in, which is kind of a relief.
Summary
- Log in to TikTok on your PC, head to your profile
- Go into settings > privacy
- Flip the Private Account toggle
- Check other privacy options and adjust as needed
- Remember, sometimes refresh or re-login helps if things look weird
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours someone — TikTok privacy isn’t as smooth as it should be, but it works.