It is remarkable how TikTok has risen to prominence. Upon learning about TikTok, you will discover that there are a number of features available. You can post a video, share someone else’s video, create a duet video with your favorite creator, and more. The ability to communicate with others is one of the more simple expectations of social media platforms.
This article will show you how you can message another TikTok user and teach you some other neat TikTok tricks.
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Direct Messaging
Direct messaging is a form of private communication between two users. Unlike comments, the “direct” part implies that it cannot be seen by others. Whether you want to use direct messaging on social media is up to you. Some prefer not to disable it altogether – you can always ignore whomever you want, right?
As with all other apps, TikTok has this option as well. If you want to know how to send someone a DM on TikTok, here’s how.
Things To Know
We want to make sure you know a few things before you begin sending DMs on TikTok. There are some unique rules for sending DMs on TikTok that allow users to better control who can message them.
TikTok DMs require you to be friends with your recipient and register your phone number in the app in order to send messages. The idea behind this seemingly odd policy is to reduce spam. Facebook and Instagram allow you to send messages to people who aren’t your friends (but the messages go to a ‘Message Requests’ inbox), but TikTok doesn’t always let you do that.
Another thing to note is that TikTok banned messages for users under 16 (although this may vary by region). In order to protect younger users and avoid potential lawsuits, the company took steps to prevent issues regarding minors.
Hence, if you get an error message, make sure you’ve entered your phone number when setting up the app. While you can get a temporary phone number, you may have trouble accessing your TikTok account later.
Check your internet connection next. Sending messages on TikTok can be problematic with a weak internet connection. Try switching to cellular data if you’re on Wi-Fi.
With TikTok’s anti-spam features, you can’t send too many messages in a short period of time. Although messaging limits have never been confirmed, you can’t follow too many people at once without getting an error. Therefore, we would assume some users are sending too many random DMs in a short period of time.
TikTok allows you to send DMs in a few ways. I would like to review both of them.
Send a DM Using the Inbox Icon
- The inbox icon appears at the bottom of the TikTok app when you open it. You will be taken to the activity page once you click it.
- The icon for direct messages can be found in the top right corner of your screen. The icon can be tapped.
- You’ll now see a list of people you can message. You can either choose the user you’d like to message or use the search bar at the top to find someone who isn’t listed.
- Messages should be composed. In the lower right corner, tap the arrow icon.
You will receive a notification when the recipient responds. To check for new messages, tap the Inbox icon at the bottom of TikTok.
Send a DM Through a User’s Profile
By going to the user’s profile, you can send a DM in two ways. The Message button will appear if you follow each other. There are a few steps you’ll have to follow if the user follows you, but you don’t follow them back.
You can DM someone on TikTok who follows you (and who follows you back) by following these steps:
- Enter your friend’s name in the search bar at the top of TikTok after you click the Friends icon at the bottom.
- You can view the profile of your friend by tapping on it. Tap Messages.
- Click the Send icon in the lower right corner after typing your message.
You probably aren’t following the other user back if you don’t see a Message button. If that’s the case, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Directly access their profile
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- You will see a panel appear. Click “Send message.”
How to Opt-Out of DMs
Unlike other popular social media sites, TikTok gives you more control over your inbox. You can set your settings to only allow DMs from certain types of users in addition to blocking unwanted users.
Messages can be accepted from ‘Everyone,’ ‘Friends,’ or ‘No one.’ To adjust these settings, follow these steps:
- You can access your profile by clicking here
- In the top right corner, click on the three horizontal lines.
- Choose “Privacy.”
- “Direct messages” should be selected.
- Depending on your needs, select the appropriate option from the list.
The people you’ve interacted with in the past can still send you messages even if you toggle this option to ‘Friends’ or ‘No one’.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section includes answers to more questions you may have about TikTok messages.
Can I stop just one person from messaging me?
You can completely disable the DM feature, as mentioned earlier. It doesn’t limit it to one or two nuisance users; turning this feature off means no one can message you. You might wonder if you can prevent only one or two users from sending you DMs.
It is only possible to do this by blocking that person’s account completely. You can find an entire article on that here.
Can I DM someone on TikTok without a phone number?
No, unfortunately. A phone number is required to access all the features of TikTok. To enable the feature, you can use a Google Number or another temporary phone number resource. Using this option may make it difficult for you to log in and recover your account in the future.
TikTok support can assist you if you receive an error message stating that you need a phone number, but you already have one registered.
Does TikTok have Read Receipts?
Unfortunately, no. It is possible for users to read messages and type responses without the sender knowing. Users receive no feedback letting them know you’ve read or plan to respond to their messages.
How do I message someone who isn’t following me?
There are limited options available to you. It is possible to send a message to another user by commenting on one of their videos. The best way to communicate with someone is by commenting on their video.
It is also possible to check their profile for links to their other social media accounts. Most users link their Instagram accounts, for example. You can send a message through Instagram if you see one listed.
Check the user’s profile for a Linktree. You may find links to external websites or social media in the Linktree of a large creator or business. Send them a message on one of those platforms if they do.
In Closing, TikTok Community Guidelines
While TikTok’s astronomical success has been fascinating, some concerns remain. As most of the app’s users are very young people, primarily underage children, the company has extensive community guidelines. Direct messaging is included in this. You can also block users from sending inappropriate messages if they aren’t following you.
Click on the three dots in that conversation, and then click “Report” or “Block.” This will send the message in question to moderation for review, as well as prevent the person from seeing your profile or contacting you.