- The two kinds of save on TikTok
- What the creator can see when you add to Favourites
- What happens when you download a video instead
- Can other people see your Favourites?
- What creators see in their numbers
- How to keep your saving private
- If you're the creator: what to do with Favourites activity
- If the creator has turned downloads off
- My take
- Frequently asked questions
It depends what you mean by save. Adding a video to Favourites can show up for the creator, because TikTok's own Inbox filter groups Likes and Favourites together in their Activity. Downloading a video to your phone isn't one of the activity types TikTok lists, so it doesn't appear there by name.
This is one of those questions where the honest answer is more useful than a quick yes or no, because TikTok uses the word save for two different things. One is the bookmark icon on the side of a video, which adds it to your Favourites inside the app. The other is Save video in the share menu, which downloads a copy to your phone.
The two kinds of save on TikTok
| What you tap | What it does | Where it shows for the creator |
|---|---|---|
| Bookmark (Favourites) icon | Keeps the video in your Favourites in the app | Activity inbox: TikTok lists Likes and Favourites as one filter |
| Share, then Save video | Downloads a copy to your device | Not one of the activity filters TikTok lists |
Most people asking this have tapped the bookmark, so that's the one to understand first.
What the creator can see when you add to Favourites
TikTok's Help Center explains how to filter inbox notifications: go to Inbox, tap Activities, tap All activity, then choose Likes and Favourites, Comments, Add yours, or Mentions and tags. The fact that Favourites sits right next to Likes in that list is the giveaway. Favouriting a video is treated as activity on the creator's post, in the same family as a like.
So if you were hoping to quietly save a video without the creator ever having a way to see it, don't count on it. Whether they notice depends on how busy their inbox is and their notification settings, but the activity type exists.
What happens when you download a video instead
Downloading is a separate action. In TikTok's sharing guide, you tap Share, then Save video or Save photo, and the option only appears on posts where the creator has allowed downloads. TikTok doesn't list downloads among the activity filters in the Inbox, which are Likes and Favourites, Comments, Add yours, and Mentions and tags.
If you want the full detail on downloading, including what the creator controls, I've covered how to save a TikTok video to your phone step by step.
Can other people see your Favourites?
That's a different question from whether the creator gets told. Your own collections live on your profile, and TikTok gives you separate privacy controls for parts of your profile. For example, TikTok's help page on liking says your liked videos are hidden from your profile by default, and you choose who can see them under Settings and privacy, then Privacy, then Liked videos. Check the same Privacy menu for your Favourites before assuming nobody can see them.
What creators see in their numbers
If you're on the other side and wondering whether you can see who saved your video, TikTok Studio's Manage area shows performance numbers for each post, such as likes, shares and views, and the Analytics area shows overview, viewer and engagement data. Those are totals and trends. For named people, your Activity inbox is the place to look.
How to keep your saving private
- Just watch. Viewing a video doesn't put you in the creator's Likes and Favourites filter.
- If the creator allows downloads, Save video keeps a copy on your device without adding it to your Favourites.
- Review your profile Privacy settings so your saved and liked collections aren't public by accident.
Screenshots raise their own question, so here's my answer on whether TikTok notifies screenshots.
If you're the creator: what to do with Favourites activity
Favourites tell you something likes don't. A like is often a reflex as people scroll; a Favourite means someone wants to come back to the video later. That's a strong hint about what your audience finds useful, so it's worth checking which posts collect them.
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- Open Inbox and tap Activities.
- Tap All activity, then choose Likes and Favourites.
- Note which posts keep appearing, then make more videos in that format or on that topic.
Pair that with the per-post numbers in TikTok Studio's Manage area, which shows likes, shares and views, and you've got a simple read on what's worth repeating.
If the creator has turned downloads off
You'll notice Save video is missing on some posts. That's the creator's choice, not a glitch. TikTok's download settings page explains that when downloads are off, people can't save the creator's videos or photos, and the setting covers posts they've already published as well as future ones. If the account is private, or the creator is under 16, downloads are off by default and can't be switched on. In that case the bookmark is the only way to keep the video, and you're back to the Favourites point above.
My take
Assume a Favourite can be seen and a download can't, and you won't get caught out. If saving a video is something you'd rather the creator didn't know about, the bookmark isn't the quiet option it looks like. And if you're a creator, your Activity inbox is worth filtering once in a while: the Likes and Favourites view shows you which posts people want to come back to, which is a better signal than a like on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Does TikTok tell the creator when I add their video to Favourites?
Favourites is treated as activity on their post. TikTok's Inbox lets creators filter Activities by Likes and Favourites, so it can show up for them.
Does TikTok notify when you download a video?
Downloads aren't one of the activity filters TikTok lists in the Inbox, which are Likes and Favourites, Comments, Add yours, and Mentions and tags.
Why can't I see Save video on some TikToks?
TikTok only shows Save video on posts where the creator has turned on download permissions.
Can people see the videos I've liked on TikTok?
Your liked videos are hidden from your profile by default. You can change who sees them in Settings and privacy, Privacy, Liked videos.
Where do creators see Favourites activity?
In the TikTok app, creators go to Inbox, tap Activities, then All activity, and can filter by Likes and Favourites, Comments, Add yours, or Mentions and tags.
