For most of us, taking a screenshot or recording a screen seems quite normal and harmless. Pretty common on most apps like whatsapp or instagram. This is not a problem since these apps do not alert users when someone takes a screenshot. But Snapchat notifies you when someone secretly takes a screenshot of their story. Naturally, the same concern is reflected in TikTok.
In the end, you will look into your life. So, does TikTok notify anyone when it takes screenshots of a video or profile?
No no. TikTok doesn't tell anyone about it. And it works anyway. The app won't notify when someone takes a screenshot of your profile or downloads a lip sync video on their phone.
For most TikTok users, this may not be a big deal as the app is exposure dependent, meaning that most users prefer to use public profiles. This public nature of TikTok also poses a major problem - an easily accessible place to download your videos. Remember, you don't just have to worry about your friends or followers.
Note. Downloading someone's videos without their explicit permission is tricky territory and could be considered unethical or even harassment.
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Changing privacy settings on TikTok
The videos you create on TikTok can be found by more than just your followers. Anyone with access to the app can search and download these videos, and the same number of Instagram videos can be the same. This is a frightening situation for those who create these videos primarily for entertainment and not trying to go viral.
The good news is that TikTok offers several privacy settings. Just go to your profile and tap the gear icon.
Now click "Privacy and Security" > "Allow Downloads" and click the "Off" button. After that, your subscribers will not be able to see the "Download" button when they click the "Share" button.
There is another important privacy setting in this section. You can also limit who reacts to and comments on your videos. Tap the first and second options and choose Friends instead of Everyone.
The bad news is that disabling video downloads isn't completely reliable. Some applications may override these privacy settings. This is anyone with access to the video downloader and a specific URL can remain on your video.
As such, limiting who can see your thumbnails is the most obvious step to secure your TikTok account. This hides your new uploads from prying eyes and only your viewers can see them. Naturally, you will have to trade likes and reactions for the sake of privacy. New users should be willing to follow you to see your new uploads.
To make these changes, go to Privacy & Security > Personal Account and turn on your device.
To test these changes, you can install the TikTok Lite app and see how your profile and videos appear to others.
Note. Privacy settings do not affect previously uploaded videos. As such, subscribers who do so will continue to do so despite their respective privacy settings.
#privacy
Bonus Tip: Digital Wellbeing
Without a doubt, with apps like TikTok, it's easy to lose time. Keep scrolling, see what I'm talking about. If the avid TikTok lover inside of you is having a hard time getting over your addiction to this app, there's good news for you. The app has a built-in feature to help you take control of your life.
This feature, called digital wellbeing, allows you to limit your TikTok use to about two hours a day.
To set it up, go to Settings and click on Digital Wellbeing. Set a PIN and change the Screen Time key.
The bad news is that you know this pretty well since you set up the PIN. Once you've reached the predetermined time limit, it's easy to swipe down the rabbit hole and stick it in after you re-enter your PIN.
This feature is a way to remind you that you have exceeded the time limit and need to move to the real world.
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Prevention is better than cure
With over 500 million monthly active users, TikTok is fast becoming the center of entertainment. Thousands of people visit every day. That's why it's extremely important to keep your TikTok profile and videos safe.
While TikTok doesn't offer much when it comes to privacy and security, make sure you use the settings it offers. After all, things hosted on a public platform are rarely removed from the Internet. Thus, you need to be more careful about the content you post and the content that anyone can view.
Next: Want to spice up your TikTok videos with cool effects and filters? Here are the best video editing apps for Android smartphones.
