- Unfollow someone on TikTok from their profile
- Finding the accounts you follow on TikTok
- Unfollowing on TikTok from a computer
- Does the other person know you unfollowed them on TikTok?
- TikTok alternatives to unfollowing: mute, remove or block
- When the TikTok unfollow button won't work
- Unfollowing on TikTok with a private account
- Cleaning up your TikTok following list as a business
- Frequently asked questions
To unfollow someone on TikTok, open their profile and tap the Following button so it switches back to Follow. That's the route TikTok's Help Center gives. If you only want their posts out of your feed, muting them is quieter, and TikTok says muted people aren't notified.
Your Following list on TikTok shapes the feed you scroll every evening, so it's worth pruning now and then. Maybe an old school friend posts nonstop, or a creator you followed for one viral recipe has drifted into topics you don't care about. Whatever the reason, unfollowing takes a couple of taps.
For small business owners and creators, a tidy Following list matters too. The accounts you follow say something about your brand, and a cleaner list makes it easier to keep an eye on the peers and customers who matter. Below I've set out the route TikTok's Help Center gives, plus the gentler options people often mix up with unfollowing.
Unfollow someone on TikTok from their profile
This is the method TikTok's own Following and unfollowing article describes, and it works the same on iPhone and Android:
- Open the TikTok app.
- Go to the profile of the account you want to stop following. You can tap their username on a video, search for them, or find them in your Following list.
- Tap the Following button on their profile.
- The button switches back to Follow, which tells you the unfollow has gone through.
That's it. You're no longer following them, and you can follow again at any point by tapping Follow on the same profile.
Finding the accounts you follow on TikTok
If you can't remember the exact username, start from your own profile. Tap Profile at the bottom of the app and look for your Following count, usually near the top. That opens the list of everyone you follow, and tapping a name takes you to their profile, where the Following button lives.
Menus vary by app version, so you may see a button next to each name in the list as well. If it's there, it does the same job. If it isn't, go through the profile as above.
Unfollowing on TikTok from a computer
TikTok's help article describes the profile route without splitting it by device. In a web browser, the idea is the same: open the person's profile page and select the Following button so it turns back to Follow. If the layout looks different on your screen, look for the button that shows you're currently following them.
Does the other person know you unfollowed them on TikTok?
TikTok's Following and unfollowing article doesn't say anything about notifying the other person, so I won't pretend otherwise. What I can tell you is that your Following list is part of your profile, and the account you unfollowed may notice if they go looking. If you'd rather avoid any awkwardness, muting is the quieter option, and I'll come to that next.
TikTok alternatives to unfollowing: mute, remove or block
People often say unfollow when they mean something slightly different. Here's how TikTok's help pages describe the related tools:
| What you want | Tool to use | What TikTok's help pages say |
|---|---|---|
| Stop seeing their posts but keep following | Mute their posts | Their posts stop showing in your feeds but still appear on their profile. Muted people aren't notified. |
| Stop them following you | Remove this follower | Takes them off your Followers list |
| Stop all contact | Block | A stronger step for unwanted contact |
To mute someone's posts, TikTok says to open their profile, tap the Share button at the top and tap Mute their posts. To undo it later, go to Profile, the Menu button, Settings and privacy, Content preferences, then Muted accounts, and tap Undo next to their name.
To remove a follower, TikTok gives two routes. From your own profile, tap Followers, tap the More actions button next to the person and tap Remove this follower. Or open their profile, tap the Share button and choose Remove this follower.
If you're dealing with someone who makes you uncomfortable, unfollowing isn't enough. My guide to blocking someone on TikTok and what they see walks through that step. If it's harassment or a threat, report it to TikTok, and if you're in danger, contact the police.
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When the TikTok unfollow button won't work
Sometimes you tap Following and nothing changes, or your list won't load at all. TikTok's help article lists these fixes, in this order:
- Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data.
- Refresh your Following or Followers list several times.
- Clear the app video cache in Settings and privacy.
- Update to the latest version of TikTok.
If none of that helps, TikTok suggests sending feedback with details and screenshots by tapping Need more help? at the bottom of the help article in the app. A quick tip from experience with clients: wait a few minutes between attempts, rather than tapping the button over and over.
If the app is complaining about your connection when you're clearly online, my piece on the TikTok no internet connection error covers the usual causes.
Unfollowing on TikTok with a private account
Unfollowing works the same whether your own account is public or private. Going private changes who can follow you, not who you follow. TikTok's help page on private accounts says you choose who's allowed to follow you, and approved followers can see your videos, LIVE videos, bio, likes and your Following and Followers lists. Your name, username and profile photo stay visible to anyone.
So if you're tidying your list because you want more privacy overall, unfollowing is only half the job. Switching to private and removing followers you don't know are the other half.
Cleaning up your TikTok following list as a business
- Keep the accounts that help you: suppliers, local businesses you partner with, customers who tag you and peers in your niche.
- Unfollow accounts that no longer fit what you post about, so your list makes sense to a new visitor.
- Go steady. Do a handful at a time over a few days rather than one big session, so you can think about each account before it goes.
For the rest of the series, see the TikTok Help: 19 Guides to Views, Pay, Freezing Fixes, Followers and TikTok Shop. To see who does not follow you back, use the free unfollowers checker.
Frequently asked questions
How do I unfollow someone on TikTok?
Open the person's profile and tap the Following button. It switches back to Follow, which means you've unfollowed them.
Can I unfollow someone on TikTok without them knowing?
TikTok's help article doesn't say whether the person is notified. If you'd rather stay low key, TikTok says muted people aren't notified, so muting their posts is the quieter option.
What's the difference between unfollowing and removing a follower on TikTok?
Unfollowing stops you following them. Removing a follower stops them following you, using the Remove this follower option on your Followers list or their profile.
Why won't TikTok let me unfollow someone?
TikTok suggests switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data, refreshing the list several times, clearing the app video cache in Settings and privacy and updating the app.
Can I follow someone again after unfollowing on TikTok?
Yes. Open their profile and tap Follow. TikTok's help article describes following and unfollowing as the same button on the profile.
