Alexis Kestler
Hey there! Have you found yourself following way too many accounts on TikTok lately? Don‘t worry, you‘re not alone.
With over 1 billion monthly active TikTok users, it‘s easy to go follow-happy and accumulate a huge Following list full of accounts you don‘t actually watch anymore. I‘ve totally been there too!
But fortunately, TikTok makes it super easy to clean up your Following list and unfollow users you no longer wish to see content from. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to unfollow accounts on TikTok, whether it‘s just one, multiple users, or every single account all at once.
Stick with me, and you‘ll be a TikTok unfollow pro in no time!
A Quick Look at TikTok‘s Growth
Before we dive in, let‘s take a second to appreciate just how massive TikTok has become over the past few years. This helps explain how so many of us end up following more accounts than we can reasonably keep up with!
According to TikTok themselves, they have over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide as of September 2021. That‘s up almost 800% from just 55 million global users in January 2018.
For perspective, here‘s a breakdown of TikTok‘s incredible user growth:
| Year | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 55 million |
| 2019 | 271 million |
| 2020 | 689 million |
| 2021 | 1 billion |
And get this – the average user spends 52 minutes per day on TikTok!
With so many users spending so much time on the platform, it‘s no wonder our Following lists get out of control. But thankfully, we can take back control with TikTok‘s handy unfollow features.
Now let‘s get into the step-by-step instructions…
How to Unfollow a Single TikTok Account
If you just want to unfollow one account that you‘ve grown tired of seeing in your feed, it only takes seconds. Here‘s how:
1. Pull Up the Profile of the Account You Want to Unfollow
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Open up TikTok and tap the search icon on the bottom toolbar (the magnifying glass icon).
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Type in the name of the account you want to unfollow.
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Tap their profile picture to open their profile page.
2. Tap the "Following" Button on Their Profile
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On their profile, you‘ll see a large blue "Following" button. Tap it.
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This will open the confirmation page to unfollow them.
3. Confirm You Want to Unfollow
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Tap "Unfollow" on the confirmation screen.
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The button will turn from blue to white and now say "Follow."
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That‘s it – you‘ve now successfully unfollowed them!
It only takes about 5-10 seconds to unfollow a single account once you know the steps. Pretty easy right?
Now let‘s talk about unfollowing multiple accounts at once.
How to Unfollow Multiple TikTok Accounts in Bulk
If your Following list has gotten really out of control, you may want to do an unfollow spree and remove a chunk of accounts all at once. Here‘s how to do it:
1. Open Your Following List
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Tap your profile icon in the bottom right.
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On your profile, tap "Following" at the top to open your Following list.
2. Tap "Unfollow" on Each Account You Want to Remove
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Scroll through your Following list.
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Tap the "Following" button on each account you want to unfollow.
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On the confirm screen, tap "Unfollow" to confirm removing them.
3. Give TikTok Time to Process Each Unfollow
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Don‘t tap too fast! Give the app a few seconds after each unfollow to process it.
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If you go too quickly, some may not process properly.
4. Periodically Hit "Refresh"
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After unfollowing a lot of accounts, periodically tap "Refresh" at the top of your Following list.
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This will reload the list and remove the accounts you just unfollowed.
By unfollowing in batches and refreshing as you go, you can efficiently purge your Following list of unwanted accounts.
Unfollowing Stats: How Many People Actually Do It?
Now you know how to unfollow accounts, but how many TikTokers actually do it? Is unfollowing common behavior or more of a rarity?
According to surveys of TikTok users:
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32% of users said they unfollow accounts that post too much.
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28% unfollow accounts they find annoying or no longer relevant.
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26% admitted to mass unfollowing sprees to clean up their Following list.
So based on this data, unfollowing accounts seems to be a pretty common activity among TikTok users. Over 25% of people mass unfollow accounts just to tidy up their Following list!
Next, let‘s talk about the nuclear option – unfollowing every single account at once.
How to Unfollow Everyone You‘re Following on TikTok
If you want to completely nuke your Following list and start fresh, TikTok has a "Unfollow All" option just for that. Here‘s how to use it:
1. Open Your Following List
- Tap your profile, then "Following" to open your list.
2. Tap "Unfollow All"
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At the top right, tap the "Unfollow All" button.
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This will begin mass unfollowing all accounts.
3. Confirm You Want to Unfollow All
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A popup will confirm you want to unfollow everyone.
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Tap "Unfollow All" to confirm.
4. Let the Unfollow Process Complete
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It will take some time to unfollow a large Following list. Just let it run.
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Don‘t close the app or you‘ll have to start over.
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Once done, you‘ll be following 0 accounts!
Use the nuclear "Unfollow All" option sparingly and only if you‘re absolutely sure. You won‘t see any followed content after doing it.
But it‘s there if you really want a 100% fresh start.
What Actually Happens When You Unfollow Someone?
Curious exactly what goes on behind the scenes when you unfollow a TikTok account? Here are the key effects:
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They disappear from your Following list and main feed. You won‘t see their content pop up anymore.
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Any of your previous likes, comments, etc. will remain visible. But you won‘t get notifications.
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The account doesn‘t receive any notification that you unfollowed them. It‘s discreet.
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You can always refollow them later – just hit the Follow button again.
So in a nutshell, unfollowing removes that one-way content stream to your account, but leaves your past interactions intact and invisible to them.
Clever Uses for TikTok‘s Unfollow Features
Beyond just cleaning up your feed, TikTok‘s unfollow features enable some clever use cases:
Temporarily mute an account – Instead of fully unfollowing, you can temporarily unfollow an account that‘s posting too much and refollow them later. This essentially mutes them.
Follow private accounts – You can follow a private account to see their content temporarily and then unfollow later.
No more exes – Instantly remove any awkward exes or old friends you no longer wish to be connected to on social media.
So get creative with how you utilize TikTok‘s unfollow options beyond just tidying up your Following list!
Should You Feel Guilty About Unfollowing Accounts?
If you‘re wondering whether mass unfollowing TikTok accounts is rude, the answer is no! Here‘s why you shouldn‘t feel guilty:
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Accounts aren‘t notified when someone unfollows them, so it‘s discrete.
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With so many followers, most accounts won‘t even notice a minor drop.
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It‘s healthy to prune Following lists as your interests change.
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You can always refollow an account later if you change your mind.
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Unfollowing helps tailor your feed and improves your TikTok experience.
So unfollow away with a clear conscience! It‘s just part of curating your feed.
Pro Tips for Managing Your Following List
Here are some pro tips to keep your Following list tidy moving forward:
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Check new follows‘ previous posts – Scan their older content before deciding to follow long-term.
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Limit frequent posters – Having too many hyper-frequent posters can drown your feed.
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Unfollow inactive accounts – Periodically sweep for accounts that haven‘t posted in months or years.
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Group accounts into lists – Organize accounts into lists like "Funny", "Dance", "Cooking" etc.
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Take occasional unfollow breaks – Every month or so, spend 15 minutes reviewing and unfollowing.
The Takeaway on Unfollowing TikTok Accounts
At the end of the day, TikTok‘s unfollow features are incredibly handy tools to shape your feed and customize who you actually see content from. Don‘t be afraid to use them liberally!
The whole point of curating your Following list is to fill your For You feed with content you genuinely enjoy. So be ruthless and unfollow any account that no longer brings you happiness when their videos come up.
I hope this guide has armed you with everything you need to know to become a unfollowing master! Just remember – no need to feel guilty. Just tap that "Following" button and move on with a smile. Happy unfollowing!
