Here’s The Secret To Changing Your TikTok Algorithm

From crafting tips and cocktail recipes to OOTD inspo and pop culture round-ups, TikTok has a niche for every corner of the internet. The algorithm always seems to find its target audience one way or another — for the most part, anyway. Every once in a while, though, something you have no interest in will sneak its way onto your FYP, and the next thing you know, your whole feed is filled with side-by-side clips of Family Guy and Subway Surfers (or maybe that’s just me). So is there a way to hack your TikTok algorithm to make sure that doesn’t happen? The official answer is no, but there may be some hacks you can try to retrain your feed.

If you’ve been on TikTok for a while, you know your FYP says a lot about you. Whether you’re on #FoodTok, #BookTok, or the chaotic side of TikTok, there’s probably a reason why your algorithm started feeding you that kind of content in the first place. Did you comment on a video from that creator? Did you save a TikTok recipe to your Favorites? Did you send a video that breaks down the latest celebrity scandal to your bestie group chat? Whatever you did, the algorithm took your interest in that TikTok and ran with it. Now, you’re left paying the price, because interacting with that one video might have welcomed dozens of takes on the same celebrity gossip story onto your FYP, and it’s seriously getting in the way of your usual DIY content. We’ve all been there.

Though TikTok has refrained from releasing any official information on the matter, retraining your algorithm may still be possible. So if you want to see fewer movie scene clips and more home renovation tips, here are some possible fixes worth trying.

Interact With The Content You Want To See

Sometimes the most straightforward solutions are right in front of your face. According to Hootsuite, the TikTok algorithm’s main ranking factors are user interactions, video information (captions, sounds, and hashtags), and device and account settings (language, country, device type, etc.). That means if you want to see more TikToks with a sound that makes you LOL, scrolling away without engaging isn’t going to make that happen. In order to keep the content coming, your best bet to show the algorithm you’re interested in those sorts of videos is to interact with said content.

There are several ways you can interact with a video beyond just liking it. Liking a comment (or even leaving a comment yourself) may also count as interaction, as well as saving the video, sound, or filter to your Favorites. It’s possible sharing a TikTok will also signal that you’re interested, as well as downloading the content to your device. Even watching the video on a loop might help boost your algorithm.

It’s likely this same rule applies to content you don’t want to see, either. If you’re tired of seeing those satisfying sand videos on your FYP (you know the ones), you’re probably going to want to scroll away as fast as you can.

Mark Videos As “Not Interested”

You might not know it, but you can actually tell TikTok which videos on your FYP do not meet your standards. You can do this by marking a video as “Not Interested,” which you can access by pressing and holding the screen, then selecting “Not Interested.” Once you’ve done that, you’ll see a text box at the bottom of your screen that says, “We’ll show you fewer videos like this,” with an option to see more details.

By tapping Details, you can specify your issues with the video further, by selecting either, “Don’t show videos from the previous creator,” or “Don’t show videos with the previously used sound.” Getting specific with your “Not Interested” request is probably your best course of action for keeping this kind of content off your page, so keep that in mind next time you stumble upon something you don’t want to see.

Unfollow Accounts

It seems like a given, but according to Hootsuite, unfollowing accounts you’re no longer interested in might impact your algorithm, too. Hopefully, that’ll keep the creators behind those accounts off your feed, and your For You Page will finally be for you again.

Clear Your Cache

If you really want to start fresh with your TikTok algorithm, Hootsuite suggests that clearing your cache might help. Distractify explains that by clearing your cache, you’ll only be deleting “trivial data from the app,” like the videos you’ve seen on your FYP — nothing important like your saved videos and drafts will be impacted. Once the cache is cleared, it’s possible you’ll be able to rebuild your algorithm from the ground up.

As mentioned, none of these hacks have been officially confirmed by TikTok, so try them at your own risk. But if you’ve been feeling like your FYP isn’t as good as it used to be, you might as well give them a shot.