How to Log Someone Out of Your TikTok Account: Do This Now

This guide is for your own account, whether you left it logged in on a friend's phone, an old device or a shared family tablet, or you think someone else has been using it. If you're in a hurry, work through the checklist below in order. The order matters.

Do this in the next five minutes

1. Open your profile and tap the menu (three lines), then Settings and privacy.
2. Go to Security. In some versions it's called Security and permissions.
3. Tap Manage devices, or Devices, and look at the list of places you're logged in.
4. Tap any device you don't recognise or no longer use, then remove it or log it out.
5. Go back to Settings and privacy, then Account, then Password, and set a new password.
6. Back in Security, turn on 2-step verification.
7. Check that the email address and phone number on the account are yours.

If a menu name looks different in your version of the app, search the settings for the word devices or security and you'll find the same screen.

Why remove the device first?

The device list shows where your account is currently signed in. Removing a device logs that phone or tablet out, so the person using that device is kicked out of the app. It's the fastest way to take control back, and it takes seconds.

But a removed device isn't a locked door. If the other person knows your password, they can simply log in again. That's why the next step, the password change, matters just as much.

Changing the password the right way

Pick a password you haven't used anywhere else. A short sentence made of random words that mean something only to you is easier to remember than a jumble of symbols, and it's harder to guess.

• Don't reuse a password from another app or site.
• Don't base it on your name, birthday or anything on your profile.
• Don't share it with friends, even people you trust. Phones get lost and friendships change.

Changing your password also helps if you've been logged in on a device you can't reach, because the old sign-in generally stops working once the password changes. If it still shows up in the device list afterwards, remove it again.

Turn on 2-step verification

2-step verification asks for a second check, such as a code, whenever someone tries to log in on a new device. Someone with only your password can't get through. You'll find it in the Security area of Settings and privacy.

TikTok may also send you security alerts about new logins. Don't ignore them. If you get an alert for a login you didn't make, come straight back to the device list and run through the checklist again.

What if it was just a borrowed phone?

Most of the time the answer is dull. You logged in on a friend's phone to check a video, or on a school computer, and forgot to log out. The device list is still the right place to fix it. Remove the borrowed device, and you're done with that session.

It's worth doing even when you trust the person. Phones get passed around, lost and sold, and a forgotten login can sit there for months. A two-minute clear-out now is easier than a messy problem later.

Check the email and phone number on the account

People forget this step. If someone else's email or phone number is attached to your account, they might be able to reset your password later and get back in. Look at the details listed under Account and make sure everything is yours. If something isn't, replace it with your own and save the change.

Look for anything you don't recognise

Once you've locked things down, take a look at what's happened on the account. Your watch history can show videos you don't remember viewing, which is a quiet clue that someone else has been scrolling. Our guide on how to see your TikTok watch history shows you where to find it.

Also check your posts, your messages and your list of who you follow. If something has been posted or sent that you didn't do, delete it and tell the people who might have seen it. Keep it short and calm.

If you can't get in at all

Sometimes the other person has already changed your details and you're the one locked out. Don't panic, and don't try to guess your way back in.

• On the login screen, tap Forgot password and follow the steps to reset it using the email or phone number you originally used.
• If that doesn't work, use TikTok's in-app report a problem option or the Help Center to ask for help recovering the account.
• Give them accurate details, such as the username and the email you signed up with, and be patient.

Only use the official routes. Anyone offering to recover an account for you through a message or a website is much more likely to be a scammer than a rescuer.

What you should not do

• Don't try to log into the other person's accounts or phone to get your own back. It makes things worse and it isn't your place.
• Don't send money or personal details to anyone who contacts you offering to fix your account.
• Don't post a public rant before you've secured the account. Lock it down first, then deal with the people involved.

How to keep them out for good

• Log out of TikTok on any phone you don't own before you hand it back.
• Review the device list every few months, even when nothing seems wrong.
• Keep 2-step verification on.
• Use a password that's unique to TikTok.
• Never share a verification code with anyone who messages you, even if they seem to be from TikTok.

If the person who got into your account is someone you know and they're still bothering you, locking the account is only half of it. You can also stop them contacting you, and our guide to blocking someone on TikTok and what they see explains what happens when you do.

The honest summary: removing the device gets them out today, and the new password, 2-step verification and clean contact details keep them out tomorrow. Do all four and you've done what can reasonably be done.

Frequently asked questions

Can I log someone out of my TikTok remotely?

Yes. Go to Settings and privacy, then Security, then Manage devices, tap the device you don't recognise and remove it. Then change your password.

Is removing a device enough to keep someone out?

No. If they know your password they can log back in. Change your password and turn on 2-step verification straight after removing the device.

What if I can't log into my own TikTok account?

Use Forgot password on the login screen. If that fails, use the in-app report a problem option or the Help Center to ask TikTok to help you recover the account.

Will TikTok tell me about new logins?

TikTok may send security alerts about new logins. If you get one for a login that wasn't you, check your device list and change your password.