Go to Profile, tap the Menu button, then Settings and privacy, Privacy and Profile views, and switch Profile view history off. It's off by default, so unless you turned it on yourself, you may have nothing to do.
Here's the bit most people miss: this switch works in both directions. With it off, others won't see that you've viewed their profile, and you won't see who viewed yours. You don't get to keep one half. That's according to TikTok's help article on Profile view history, as of Nov 2026, and I think it's a fair trade for most people, which I'll come back to.
Three routes to the same switch
TikTok gives you three ways in, and they all end at the same Profile view history setting. Pick whichever's closest to where you already are in the app.
| Start from | Path | Handy when |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | Profile > Menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Profile views | You're already in your settings |
| Inbox | Inbox > Activities > Profile views > Settings | A profile view notification sent you looking |
| Profile | Profile > Profile views > Settings | You're on your own page |
From your settings. It's the longest of the three.
- In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
- Tap the Menu button at the top, then select Settings and privacy.
- Tap Privacy, then tap Profile views.
- Switch Profile view history off.
From your inbox. The notification is the quick way in, if you've got one.
- In the TikTok app, tap Inbox at the bottom.
- Tap Activities, then tap the notification that someone's viewed your profile, or tap Profile views. You may need to scroll down to find it.
- From your Profile views, tap the Settings button at the top.
- Switch Profile view history off.
From your profile. It's the shortest, with the fewest taps.
- In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
- Tap the Profile views button at the top.
- Tap the Settings button at the top.
- Switch Profile view history off.
Turning it back on later is the same trip. You go down the same route and flip the same switch the other way.
What each combination means for you
The setting only ever works between two accounts that both have it on, and that's what catches people out. Here's how it plays out when you visit someone else's profile, using nothing more than the rules TikTok sets out. I've gone further into what the viewer list can and can't show you in a separate guide, if the list is what you're after.
| Your setting | Their setting | Do they see your visit? |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Off | No |
| Off | On | No |
| On | Off | No |
| On | On | Yes |
Read that the other way round and it answers the other half of the question too. An account shows up in your list only if you've got the setting on, they've got it on, and they viewed your profile in the past 30 days. So even with it on, you'll never see everyone who looked. Anyone with the setting off stays out of your list, and you've got no way of telling how many of those there are from the list itself.
That's why you can't use this to peek. Say you want to look at a competitor's profile and see who's been looking at yours. Switch it on and your visit shows up for them if they've got it on too. Switch it off and you're out of their list, but your own list is gone as well.
Who even gets this setting
Not everyone's got this switch, and if you can't find it, this is the first thing to check. TikTok says you need both of these to have access to the feature:
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- You're 16 or older.
- You've got fewer than 5,000 followers.
Miss either one and the feature isn't available to you, so there's nothing to turn off. That catches bigger accounts in particular: once you're at 5,000 followers or above, you're outside it.
If you do qualify, remember that the setting starts off by default. If you've never touched it, you're already where you want to be, and a quick look down one of the routes above will put your mind at rest.
Should you leave it off?
For most people, yes, and I'd leave it off. What you get with it on is a partial list, limited to a 30 day window and to people who've opted in as well. The price is your own browsing showing up for those same people, every time you look at their page. If you're checking out a competitor, a former colleague or someone you've just met, that's a poor deal.
The case for switching it on is simple curiosity about other accounts who've also opted in. That's fine, as long as you know you're visible to them in return. It's a setting about profile visits, though, so don't read anything into it about video watching, which is a separate question. I've dealt with who can see that you watched a video on its own page.
Quick answers
Is profile view history on or off by default?
It's off by default. TikTok's article says so in its steps for the setting, so you'll only be seeing or showing profile views if the setting's been turned on.
If I turn it off, can people still see that I viewed their profile?
No. TikTok says that with it off, others won't see that you've viewed theirs, and you won't see who's viewed yours.
Why can't I find Profile views in my TikTok settings?
It's only there for account holders who are 16 or older with fewer than 5,000 followers. If you're outside either limit, you won't have access to it.
Can I stay hidden and still see who viewed my profile?
No. It's one switch for both directions, so seeing your viewers means your visits can be seen by other accounts that have it on.
Does it work the same on iPhone and Android, or for accounts I've blocked?
TikTok's article doesn't cover either. It gives one set of steps for the app, and it doesn't say whether the setting changes anything for blocked accounts.
