The TikTok application is very popular with teens and young adults ... but not only! If the quality of the content is not always there, there are some nuggets. Curious ? So get started by creating your account!
Available on Android and iOS, TikTok is a free mobile video creation application with music and playback. It has been a great success in Spain since 2019, especially among the youngest - the famous Generation Z. But for several months, older users as well as personalities from all sides (influencers, artists, comedians and even politicians) have joined this network and actively participate in the uninterrupted flow of video creations. Thus, it is estimated at more than 11 million its number of monthly users in Spain alone, and 800 million in all in the world, placing it in front of WhatsApp.
TikTok owes its success to its extremely efficient and easy-to-use functions for creating videos: filters, effects, adding music… Their duration is limited to 15 or 60 seconds, so the message must be short. And the result could be compared to YouTube on steroids: it's fast, loud, with overuse of special effects and zooms. If the majority only seeks to entertain, some videos are educational, decipher the news or defend causes with a strong commitment against racism or sexism, for example.
Who says social network, says sharing. In fact, other users can comment, relay or "like" the videos, and even reuse them in their own productions. The videos and choreographies thus created are broadcast on the platform and can easily be sent to other social networks such as Instagram or Twitter.
Like Instagram, TikTok uses hashtags to highlight certain videos, and offers challenges based on specific music. These regularly renewed creative challenges offer both a way to arouse the interest of users and a good way for them to showcase themselves.
But like any social network, TikTok has its excesses. Widely used by the youngest (13-18 years), the Chinese application has been talked about because of the risks of cyberstalking and pedophilia, of scams and even accusations of espionage, to the point of being prohibited for a time in the United States. Since these accusations, TikTok has changed the confidentiality of accounts created by minors. However, it is strongly recommended to make young people aware of the risks, to pay attention to the content posted ... and to check their confidentiality settings regularly.
How do I create a TikTok account?
Creating a TikTok account is very quick. In a few minutes, you will be able to view the first videos on your home page.
- Download and install the app on your mobile phone.
Download the TikTok app for iOS
Download the TikTok app for Android
- After installation, launch the application on your smartphone. You can choose several options to create your account: a phone number, an email address, your Facebook account, your Twitter account or your Google account (on Android).
- If you choose the twitter account, Facebook account or Google account, a new window opens on the application concerned to confirm the link between the two accounts. By default, the information already present on the Twitter, Facebook or Google account will be used, for example first name and age.
- If you want to register by providing a phone number or email address, tap Uses a phone or email address.
- A new screen appears. Indicate your date of birth by scrolling down month, jour et the year at the bottom of the screen, then tap Next. This information will not be accessible to other TikTok users, but it will verify that you are over 13 years old, the minimum age to be able to use the application.
- The screen changes again. Choose the validation option you want to use at the top: Tphone or and-mail.
- By phone: indicate your phone number in the box provided, then press Send a code. A code is sent by SMS to your phone and must be copied into the interface. If the application detects the SMS, the code is automatically detected and copied and the registration is validated.
- By e-mail: enter your E-mail adress in the box provided, then press Next. A confirmation email is sent to your usual mailbox, but you can continue the process without waiting for it to be received. You will just have to think about doing it after your discovery of TikTok.
- A control box is superimposed on the screen for an additional verification by image. Solve the puzzle. The box disappears automatically.
- The password creation screen appears. Choose a mot de passe following the instructions: 8 to 20 characters, and a mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters. Press Suivant.
- Choose username on the next screen, then press Registration.
- A dialog box is superimposed on the screen concerning personalized advertisements. Press on Accept, you can always change this option in the settings later.
- A new screen loads to specify your areas of interest. This will allow TikTok to fill your home page with a first sample of thematic videos. It will be refined over time. Select themes by pressing those proposed : comedy, animals, food, travel, art… They pass on a red background. Press on Next.
- And that's it, your account is created and you discover your first TikTok videos on the next screen.
- To scroll through them, slide your finger from the bottom to the top.
- If you like a video, tap the icon Heart to signify it to the creator, or twice on the screen.
- If you want to subscribe to this creator, tap on their profile picture with the signe +, on the right of the screen.
- The account profile screen appears. Push the button Subscribe, then on the up arrow on the left of the screen to return to the home page.
- You can find all your subscriptions, by tapping at the top of the home screen, on Subscriptions.
- If, on the contrary, this kind of video does not please you, long press on the screen. A drop-down menu appears. Press on Not interested).
The more you indicate your tastes, the more TikTok will do its best to offer you content that is likely to please you.
How do I change the privacy settings of a TikTok account?
Now that you have created your account, it is better to check its visibility and manage the permissions to use your videos. So many important settings for privacy.
- Tap the icon Moi at the bottom right of the app home screen.
- The screen changes. Press the three small dots at the top right.
- The parameters management screen appears. Press on Privacy Policy, in the Account section.
- REACH the switch at the end of the line Private account to change the visibility of the account. The icon is green when the account is private. This setting is recommended for underage users.
- In the Security section, you can also change the settings for direct messages, collages with your videos, reactions and comments to videos and also their visibility.
- Press the setting that you want to change.
- On the next screen, select Everybody, Friends ou No one to change the privacy. If the account is private, the contents will only be visible to friends.
- Press the arrow at the top left of the screen to return to the Security screen. Repeat for each setting.
- Touch the arrow at the top left of the screen to return to the Profile screen.
