- How to change your email on TikTok
- How to change your phone number on TikTok
- The catch: both the old and the new one must work
- Add, change or remove at a glance
- How to remove an email or phone number from TikTok
- If you've lost access to your old email
- When the code doesn't arrive, and TikTok's two answers on the leading 0
- If your new number is already on another account
- What TikTok uses your email and phone number for
- My advice: keep both on your account
- Frequently asked questions
To change your email or phone number on TikTok, go to Profile, tap Menu, then Settings and privacy, Account and Account Information, and tap Email or Phone number. Tap Change email or Change phone, enter the new one, tap Send code and type in the code TikTok sends to the new address or number.
The steps are simple. The rules behind them are what stop people. Both the old and the new email or number have to work, because TikTok sends codes to them, and you can't remove one if it's your only way in. Here's the full picture from TikTok's help, as of October 2026.
How to change your email on TikTok
- Go to your Profile and tap Menu.
- Tap Settings and privacy, then Account.
- Tap Account Information (on some versions it's called User information), then Email.
- Tap Change email and enter your new address.
- Tap Send code and enter the code sent to your new email.
If you don't have an email on the account yet, the same path works for adding one: tap Email, enter the address, tap Send code and enter the code sent to it.
How to change your phone number on TikTok
- Go to Profile, then Menu, then Settings and privacy.
- Tap Account, then Account Information, then Phone number.
- Tap Change phone and enter your new number.
- Tap Send code and enter the code sent to your new phone.
Adding a number for the first time works the same way. Enter the number, tap Send code, and type in the code that arrives.
The catch: both the old and the new one must work
TikTok says both your old and new email, or your old and new number, must be active and verified, because codes are sent to them. So if you're switching to a new phone, make the change while you still have the old SIM. Changing provider or closing an old inbox first is the classic way to lock yourself out of this setting.
Add, change or remove at a glance
| What you want to do | Where to go in TikTok |
|---|---|
| Add an email | Settings and privacy, Account, Account Information, Email, then the code sent to that email |
| Change your email | Email, then Change email, then the code sent to the new email (old and new both need to work) |
| Remove your email | Email, then Unlink email, then Unlink (needs another way to log in) |
| Add or change your phone | Phone number, then enter the number or tap Change phone, then the code sent to the new phone |
| Remove your phone | Phone number, then Unlink phone, then Unlink (needs another way to log in) |
| Lost access to the old email | The Need more help? form, TikTok verifies your identity, up to 30 days |
How to remove an email or phone number from TikTok
To remove an email, go to Account Information, tap Email, then Unlink email and Unlink. To remove a phone number, tap Phone number, then Unlink phone and Unlink. TikTok won't let you unlink either one in these cases:
- The account is linked only to that phone number or that email.
- You only use a password to log in, which TikTok treats as an account security issue.
- Phone or email 2-step verification is switched on. Turn it off first, then unlink.
You'll find 2-step verification under Profile, Menu, Settings and privacy, Security & permissions. TikTok asks you to pick at least two methods from Phone, Email, Authenticator and Password, so if you're removing one, set up another first.
If you've lost access to your old email
There's no quick self-serve change here, because the code has to reach the old address. Instead, TikTok asks you to reset your authentication method. In the app, tap Need more help? and fill in the form so TikTok can verify your identity. Once you're verified you can reset it, but TikTok says this may take up to 30 days. If you're fully locked out, my guide on how to recover a TikTok account walks through the other routes.
When the code doesn't arrive, and TikTok's two answers on the leading 0
For a missing phone code, TikTok says to choose the correct country code and enter your number without the country code. On the leading 0, its own pages disagree. Its Haven't received the phone verification code article says to enter the number without the prefix 0. Its combined Email and phone number article gives the same fix but says with the prefix 0. So try one way, and if the code still doesn't come, try the other.
For a missing email code, check for typos or spaces, look in spam and your other folders, and make sure your mailbox isn't full. There's more in my guide to TikTok not sending a verification code.
If your new number is already on another account
TikTok allows one email and one phone number per account. If your new number is linked to another account, TikTok shows that account's profile picture when you enter it. You can log in instead if it's yours, or continue with the number, which moves it to your account and notifies the old one.
Mobile networks also recycle numbers after inactivity, so a new SIM can come with someone's old TikTok attached. You can ask TikTok to unlink it through the Help Centre, using Chat with us or Report a problem. And if you delete an account that holds an email or number, TikTok deactivates it for 30 days and then erases it. After those 30 days, the email or number can go on a new account.
While you're sorting out your profile, take a look at how to add a link to your TikTok bio.
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What TikTok uses your email and phone number for
Your email and phone number aren't visible on your profile, and TikTok says it doesn't sell them. It does use them for:
- Log-in help and account recovery.
- 2-step verification.
- Suggesting your account to people you may know, which you control in Privacy, then Suggest your account to others, then Contacts.
- Autofill.
- Ad personalisation based on your activity off TikTok, depending on your settings.
- Newsletters and promotions, and TikTok Shop order updates.
On Android only, TikTok can also link the email addresses on your device to help people you may know find you. To stop it, turn off Sync contacts under Privacy, then Sync contacts and Facebook friends, and tap Remove previously synced contacts. That doesn't remove the email or phone you signed up with.
If you'd rather start a fresh profile than change details, see how creating a TikTok account works.
My advice: keep both on your account
TikTok recommends adding both an email and a phone number, and I'd do it today. It's the difference between a two-minute fix and a 30-day wait if you ever lose one of them. While you're in Account settings, it's also a good moment to change your TikTok password if you haven't for a while.
For the rest of the series, see the TikTok Help: 19 Guides to Views, Pay, Freezing Fixes, Followers and TikTok Shop.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change my email on TikTok?
Go to Profile, Menu, Settings and privacy, Account, Account Information, then Email. Tap Change email, enter the new address, tap Send code and enter the code sent to the new email.
How do I change my phone number on TikTok?
Go to Profile, Menu, Settings and privacy, Account, Account Information, then Phone number. Tap Change phone, enter the new number, tap Send code and enter the code sent to the new phone.
Why can't I unlink my email or phone number on TikTok?
TikTok won't let you unlink it if it's your only log-in method, if you only use a password, or if 2-step verification uses it. Turn 2-step verification off first, then unlink.
Can I change my TikTok email if I can't access the old one?
Not through the normal steps. Tap Need more help? in the app and fill in the form so TikTok can verify your identity. TikTok says this may take up to 30 days.
Should I include the 0 when entering my phone number on TikTok?
TikTok's own pages disagree. One says to enter the number without the prefix 0 and another says with it. Use the correct country code, try one way, and if no code arrives try the other.
