TikTok beginner's guide: Start like a pro

TikTok is a free app from short videos, available on iPhone and Android, developed by ByteDance. There, you'll find content on all kinds of topics (humor, sports, cooking, current events), personalized by a algorithm who quickly learns what you like.

This guide shows you how to create your account, navigate the app, and post your first video.

Understanding TikTok: Origins and How It Works

Launched in 2017 by ByteDance, the app experienced explosive growth after the acquisition of Musical.ly in 2018. In September 2021, she reached the milestone of billion monthly active users in the world.

The concept is simple: a continuous stream of short videos, a few seconds to a few minutes. This short format is largely what makes the app so addictive. In 2023, users spent an average of nearly 34 hours per month.

It's also a real social network. You can comment, exchange private messages, and go live to interact with the community. TikTok remains focused above all on the video consumption and creation.

Note: The Chinese version is called Douyin, tailored to the local market with features such as on-site shopping.

Explanatory video in French by Alucare, ideal complement to the page. View video (you can use YouTube's automatic translation)

How to Use TikTok: Step by Step

You can watch content on TikTok without an account. But to take advantage of all the features, it's best to create one. Here's how to do it, from signing up to posting your first video.

Step 1: Signing Up and Creating a TikTok Account

Start by download the app since the’App Store (iPhone) or the Google Play Store (Android). Next, follow these steps:

1. Open the app, then select your interests (travel, sports, art, etc.).
2. Tap «Start Watching.».
3. Go to the profile menu, then tap «Sign Up.».
4. Choose your login method: email, phone number, Facebook, Google Where Twitter.
5. Enter your date of birth.
6. Creation via Google, Facebook Where Twitter is instant. Using a phone number (SMS code) or an email address (password), a additional step is required.
7. Fill in your account information (name, profile picture, etc.).

Your account is default staff. You can turn it into business account Where creator account from «Settings and Privacy» in your profile. For the brands, the business account provides access to analytical tools and options for marketing integrated.

If you're registering a teenager: for the under 16, the account is private by default, and direct messaging is restricted to confirmed friends. This security feature is designed with younger users in mind.

Step 2: Choosing what to watch

On TikTok, the creators come from a wide variety of backgrounds: everyday users, media outlets, brands, artists, and public figures. You'll find Themes for Every Taste : cooking, sports, current events, humor. Trends emerge regularly, with videos that follow the same concept.

The algorithm adapts to your preferences as you go. The more you interact with a certain type of content (watching it all the way through, liking it, commenting on it), the more the app suggests that type of content to you. Browsing through the current trends is one of the most effective ways to gain visibility quickly. If you want to start from scratch, you can reset the algorithm :

1. Go to your profile and open the hamburger menu (≡).
2. Select «Settings and Privacy.».
3. Tap «Content Preferences.».
4. Select «Refresh your feed" For you ".

Step 3: Understanding the different sections of TikTok

The bottom menu contains the app's main sections. Here's what each one is for.

Welcome

There, you can watch videos organized into two tabs at the top center:

• Followers (subscribers): videos from the accounts you follow.
• For You (enabled by default): the videos suggested by the algorithm.

+ in the center

This tab is dedicated to video creation (see below).

Inbox

Messaging lets you chat with your friends and family or with creators. You can also use it to share videos that you like.

Profile (Me)

There you'll find all the information in your profile and you can manage your settings.

Additional sections (at the top)

On the right, the’search tool lets you find specific videos. It's so widely used that some people call it TikTok the Gen Z's new search engine.

On the left, you'll find a section dedicated to live streams. Access is restricted to accounts with at least 1,000 followers. However, there are some tips for Start a live stream without 1,000 subscribers.

Step 4: Reacting to TikTok videos

On the «Home» page, scroll down to explore the videos. Each video plays on a loop once you're done. Swipe up on the screen to move on to the next one. To interact, use the icons on the right side of the screen :

Designer's profile

The first icon shows the creator's profile. Tap it to see their other videos, subscribe, or send them a message.

Like

Press the heart-shaped icon to like a video. You can then find the videos you've liked right on your profile.

Comment

The bubble-shaped icon allows you to comment on the video and read other users' comments.

Bookmark

The bookmark icon Record a video to watch it later. You can access your saved videos from your profile.

Share

Via the arrow icon, you can share or Repost the TikTok video in the app's messaging feature, or at WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, etc.

Original sound

The disk icon at the bottom lets you explore all the videos that use the same audio. Many trends involve reusing the same audio track to create different content.

Step 5: Creating a Video on TikTok

There are two ways to share your own content. The first: Create your video outside the app, for example, with CapCut (the editing software for ByteDance), then import it. The second: create directly in the app.

Creating in the app

Go to the section + and choose the length of your video: 15 seconds, 60 seconds, or up to 10 minutes (Longer formats are possible depending on the version.) You can also post a photo or text, but these options are less in line with the spirit of the platform.

Using the editor

TikTok provides several built-in design tools : filters, visual effects, text, sounds, timer. Before recording, adjust the options on the right side of the screen : camera angle, speed, editing, voice modification, etc. You can also apply effects before or after recording, from the dedicated panel. At the top center, add music or an audio track from the library of sounds : Explore trending sounds to boost your video's reach. Next:

1. To register: Tap the red circle at the bottom center.
2. To take a break: Press the red square button and create a live montage.
3. After registration: Fine-tune the edit, add text, stickers, or subtitles.
4. To publish: Click Next, then Publish.

Before publishing, remember to add some relevant hashtags in your description. Hashtags help the algorithm categorize your content and show it to the right audience. Choose hashtags related to your topic, focusing on a mix of popular hashtags and more targeted ones.

Deleting or Deactivating a TikTok Account: How Do You Do It?

Don't want to use your account anymore? You have two options: the temporarily disable where the permanently delete. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Go to your profile.
2. In the upper right corner, tap the burger menu (≡).
3. Select «Settings and Privacy».
4. Go to the section "Account.
5. Choose «Deactivate or delete the account», then «Permanently delete the account.» You can download your data before deleting everything.
6. A 6-digit code It was sent to you via text message. Enter it on the screen to complete the process.

Deletion is not immediate: TikTok Allows some time before the account is completely deleted. During this period, you can log back in to cancel the deletion and recover your account.

TikTok: Popularity and Controversies

The success of TikTok has transformed the social media landscape and prompted other platforms to copy its format of short videos. Here are the main alternatives you'll come across.

Instagram Reels

The format of the Reels is very close to that of TikTok. Many creators post the same content on both platforms. If you're already using Instagram, it's a good introduction to vertical video.

YouTube Shorts

In 2021, YouTube launched the Shorts, along the same lines. You don't need an account to watch them, whether on a computer or a phone.

Snapchat Spotlight

The section Spotlight of Snapchat works like a continuous stream of short videos. The basic idea is the same: you scroll down the screen, and the algorithm plays the videos one after another.

The Controversies Surrounding TikTok

TikTok is regularly criticized for having hosted inappropriate videos, despite the moderation provided by its preventive algorithm. The most sensitive issue remains its close ties to the Chinese government through its parent company ByteDance.

The UNITED STATES and other countries see this as a risk to the privacy and the management of user data. To date, no public evidence of espionage has been presented. Despite these tensions, TikTok remains one of the most sought-after social networks in the world, both for the general public only for the brands who see it as a means of marketing powerful.

To learn more, check out our article on how to do a TikTok live without 500 subscribers.