How to Tag Someone on TikTok: Videos, Captions and Comments

Tagging is how you give credit, start a conversation and get a collaborator's audience to notice you. Shout out the friend who filmed your video, the supplier whose product you're showing or the customer who sent in a review, and they get a notification pointing straight to your post.

TikTok calls most of this mentions, and there are four places you can do it: on the video itself, in the description, in a comment and in Stories. Here's each route as TikTok's help centre describes it, plus what to check if someone won't come up when you type their name.

Tagging someone on a TikTok video before you post

From the editing preview, TikTok gives you three ways to mention someone on screen:

1. In the TikTok app, record or upload your video or photos.
2. On the preview screen, choose one of these:
3. Tap the screen and type @ followed by the person's nickname, or pick them from the suggested accounts.
4. Or tap the Text button on the side and type @ with their nickname.
5. Or tap Stickers, choose the Mention sticker and type their nickname.
6. Finish your edits and post.

Place on-screen tags where they won't be covered by the buttons and caption that sit over a video, and leave them up long enough to read. A tag that flashes past for half a second doesn't do much for the person you're crediting.

TikTok notes that the tap-the-screen and Text options aren't available for text posts. The Mention sticker is the tidy choice if you want a clean, tappable tag on screen.

Tagging someone in your TikTok description

If you'd rather keep the video clean, tag in the caption instead:

1. After editing, continue to the Post screen.
2. Tap @ Mention.
3. Search for the person or pick them from the suggestions.
4. Add the rest of your description and hashtags, then tap Post.

On that same Post screen, TikTok also lists a separate Tag people option alongside Add description, Add hashtags, Add a location and Add link. Use whichever fits; the @ Mention in the description is the one people can read and tap.

Tagging someone in a TikTok comment

Found a video a friend would love? This is the quickest way to send it to them in public:

1. Open the video.
2. Tap the Comments button on the side.
3. Tap the Mention button in the comment bar.
4. Type their nickname or choose from the suggested accounts.
5. Tap Post comment.

If you'd rather nobody else saw it, sharing the video privately works better. I've explained how private shares show up in what Shared With You means on TikTok.

What the person you tag on TikTok sees

According to TikTok, the people you mention are notified and taken to the content you've mentioned them in. That's why tagging works so well for collaborations: the person you tag can jump straight to it.

There's a knock-on effect for you too. TikTok says that if you mention someone in a post, you'll get notifications when their friends (followers they follow back) like or comment on that post. If you tag someone popular, expect your notifications to get busier.

Where you tag	How	Notifies them?
On the video	Tap the screen or Text and type @, or use the Mention sticker	Yes
In the description	@ Mention on the Post screen	Yes
In a comment	Mention button in the comment bar	Yes

Why someone won't show up when you tag them on TikTok

According to the help centre, you can mention anyone with a TikTok account, private or public, as long as they allow others to mention them. So if a name doesn't appear in the suggestions, it's usually their settings, not your app.

1. They may have set mentions to People you follow, Friends or No one.
2. Check you're typing their nickname correctly, or try searching their @username.
3. Ask them to check their Mentions and tags settings if you're working together on a post.
4. Update the app and try again if search isn't loading at all.

Controlling who can tag you on TikTok

The same setting works in reverse for your own account. To choose who can mention you:

1. Tap Profile at the bottom.
2. Tap the Menu button at the top and choose Settings and privacy.
3. Tap Privacy, then Mentions and tags.
4. Tap Mentions and choose Everyone, People you follow, Friends (followers you follow back) or No one.

If you're getting tagged in comments you don't want, tightening this setting is a good first step. You can also tidy your own posts; here's how to delete comments on TikTok. For harassment or threats, report it to TikTok and, if you're in danger, contact the police.

Using TikTok tags for a small business or brand deals

• Tag collaborators and suppliers on screen with the Mention sticker so viewers can tap through.
• Credit customers whose reviews or photos you feature, with their agreement.
• In brand deals, tag the brand in the description as agreed, so they're notified when it goes live.
• Keep tags relevant. Tagging big accounts that aren't in the video looks spammy.

If you work with the same partners often, keep a short note of their exact nicknames and handles on your phone. It saves scrolling through suggestions and avoids tagging a lookalike account by mistake.

One more check before posting: your post's privacy setting. TikTok lets you choose Everyone, Friends or Only you on a public account. If the post is set to Only you, the people you tag won't be able to watch it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I tag someone in a TikTok video?

On the preview screen, tap the screen or the Text button and type @ with their nickname, or add the Mention sticker. You can also tap @ Mention on the Post screen to tag them in the description.

Can I tag someone in a TikTok comment?

Yes. Open the comments, tap the Mention button in the comment bar, type their nickname or pick a suggestion and tap Post comment.

Does TikTok notify people when you tag them?

Yes. TikTok says the people you mention are notified and directed to the content you mentioned them in.

Why can't I tag someone on TikTok?

They may not allow mentions from you. TikTok lets people choose Everyone, People you follow, Friends or No one in their Mentions and tags settings.

How do I stop people tagging me on TikTok?

Go to Profile, Menu, Settings and privacy, Privacy, Mentions and tags, then Mentions, and choose who can mention you, including No one.