You finally posted it. That video of you trying—and failing—to do the "Orange Soda" dance from 2020. Or maybe it’s a draft you accidentally published while you were half-asleep. Whatever the reason, you’re now frantically wondering how to private videos on TikTok before your boss, your ex, or the entire internet sees it. It happens to the best of us. Honestly, TikTok’s interface changes so often that finding the right toggle can feel like a game of Minesweeper where the stakes are your social reputation.
Privacy isn't just a "nice to have" anymore. It's essential.
TikTok is basically a giant, global stage, but sometimes you just want to perform for an audience of one. Or maybe just a few close friends. The platform gives you a surprising amount of control over who sees what, but the settings are tucked away behind a few layers of menus. If you’re looking to hide a specific video without deleting it—and losing all those likes and comments—you’re in the right place.
The quick way to change privacy on existing videos
Let's get right to it. You don’t need to delete your content. Deleting is permanent, and frankly, it’s usually unnecessary. If you have a video that’s already live and you want to pull it back from the public eye, the process is pretty snappy.
Open the TikTok app and head straight to your profile. Tap on the video you want to hide. You'll see three little dots (or an arrow icon, depending on your update version) on the right side of the screen. Tap that. Scroll through the bottom options until you find "Privacy Settings." It usually has a little padlock icon next to it.
Once you’re in there, tap "Who can watch this video." You’ve got three choices. "Everyone" means it’s public. "Friends" means only people you follow who also follow you back can see it. Then there’s "Only me." Tap "Only me," and boom. It’s gone from the public feed. It now lives in a private tab on your profile, marked by a lock icon. Only you can see it there.
It’s instantaneous. You don't have to wait for a server refresh. The second you tap that button, the video vanishes from the For You Page (FYP) and your public profile.
Why you might want to private instead of delete
I’ve talked to creators who regret deleting their old stuff. Digital hoarding? Maybe. But there’s a practical side to learning how to private videos on TikTok rather than hitting the trash can icon.
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When you delete a video, those metrics—the views, the shares, the likes—they vanish from your account's total tally. If you're trying to grow an account or work with brands, those numbers matter. Keeping videos in "Private" mode preserves the data. Plus, you might want that video later. Trends cycle back. That "cringe" video from two years ago might be the perfect "How it started vs. How it's going" transition piece six months from now.
Another thing? The algorithm.
There is a lot of chatter in the creator community—though TikTok hasn't explicitly confirmed this in their technical documentation—that mass-deleting videos can "shadowban" an account or at least freak out the recommendation engine. The theory is that the system sees a sudden disappearance of content as suspicious behavior. Privating is a much "softer" way to curate your feed without alerting the bot overlords.
Controlling your privacy before you post
You don't have to wait until a video is live to keep it under wraps. In fact, most pros set their privacy during the upload process.
On the "Post" screen—the one where you write your caption and add hashtags—there’s an option that says "Everyone can view this post." It’s right there under the "Add link" or "Location" settings. Tap it. You can set the video to "Only me" or "Friends" right then and there.
If you set it to "Only me," it won't even hit the feed. It goes straight to your private folder. This is a great way to use TikTok’s editing tools—which are honestly some of the best mobile video tools out there—without actually being a "TikToker." You can edit, add filters, use the green screen, and then save it to your private vault just for your own memories.
What about your entire account?
Sometimes one video isn't enough. If you're feeling overwhelmed or just want to go off the grid for a bit, you can make your whole profile private.
- Go to your Profile.
- Hit the three-line menu in the top right (the "hamburger" menu).
- Select "Settings and privacy."
- Tap "Privacy."
- Toggle "Private account" to on.
When your account is private, you have to approve every single follower. People who don't follow you can't see your videos, your Likes, or your "Following" list. It’s the ultimate "Do Not Disturb" sign. However, keep in mind that this doesn't affect your existing followers. If you have 500 followers and you go private, those 500 people can still see everything. You'd have to manually remove them if you're trying to hide from someone specific.
Common misconceptions about private videos
There’s a lot of misinformation floating around Reddit and TikTok itself about what happens when you private a video.
First off: No, privating a video does not "reset" its virality. If you make a video public again later, it doesn't usually get a second life on the FYP. The "freshness" window has likely passed.
Secondly, people think that if they private a video, the sounds they used will disappear. If you used a "Commercial Sound" or a trending clip, that stays. But if you created an "Original Sound" and that's the only video using it, privating the video might make the sound unavailable for others to use.
Also, a huge one: If someone has already downloaded your video or used a third-party site to "scrape" it, privating it on the app won't do anything about that external copy. Once it's out there, it's kinda out there. That's why speed is of the essence if you've posted something by mistake.
The "Friends" middle ground
TikTok’s "Friends" setting is a bit unique compared to Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). On TikTok, a "Friend" is someone you follow and who follows you back. It’s a mutual handshake.
If you set a video to "Friends," it won't show up for your casual followers or people who just stumbled upon your profile. This is the sweet spot for many people. You get to share the goofy, personal stuff with the people you actually know, while keeping your public-facing "brand" (if you have one) clean and professional.
Managing your "Liked" videos and "Favorites"
Since we're talking about how to private videos on TikTok, we should probably talk about the other stuff people can see on your profile. By default, your "Liked" videos might be visible to everyone. This is a common way people accidentally "leak" their own interests or private business.
To hide your likes:
Go to Settings and privacy > Privacy > Liked videos.
Change it to "Only me."
Now, when someone visits your profile, they won't see that tab full of recipes, workout tips, or... whatever else you've been liking at 2 AM. The same goes for your "Favorite" collections. While collections are generally private by default, it's always worth a double-check in that same Privacy menu.
Dealing with "Stitch" and "Duet"
If you make a video private, any Stitches or Duets that were made with it will... well, it gets complicated.
According to TikTok's privacy documentation, if you change your privacy settings or delete a video, the Duets and Stitches others made with your video stay on TikTok. However, your original video will no longer be visible as part of their Duet or Stitch. It usually shows a "Video not available" screen or just plays the other person's half.
If you want to prevent people from doing this in the first place, you can toggle "Allow Duet" and "Allow Stitch" to off in the privacy settings of that specific video. You don't have to make the whole video private to stop people from "reacting" to it.
Actionable steps for total privacy control
Privacy on social media isn't a "set it and forget it" thing. It requires a bit of maintenance. If you're serious about keeping your digital footprint under control, here is a quick checklist of things to do right now.
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- Audit your old content: Spend ten minutes scrolling back through your profile. Anything that doesn't represent who you are today? Private it. Don't delete it; just lock it away.
- Check your "Suggest account to others" settings: This is huge. Under Privacy settings, you can stop TikTok from suggesting your account to your phone contacts, Facebook friends, or people who send you links. If you want to be a ghost, turn all of these off.
- Clear your search history: TikTok keeps a log of everything you've searched for. In "Settings and privacy" under "Comment and watch history," you can wipe your search history. It helps keep your "suggested searches" from being awkward if you're showing a friend something on your phone.
- Filter your comments: You can actually set "Manual filters" so that comments containing specific keywords are automatically hidden. This is great for keeping your "Private-ish" videos from becoming magnets for spam or negativity.
Understanding the nuances of these settings lets you enjoy the app without the anxiety of accidental exposure. Whether you're hiding a video because it's embarrassing or because you're protecting your personal life, the tools are there. You just have to use them.
Now, go into your profile, hit those three dots, and take control of who gets to see your content. If you're worried about specific followers, remember that blocking is always an option, and it's much more effective than just privating a single video if someone is bothering you. Stay safe out there.