Why Can’t I Follow People on TikTok

I’ve had this problem myself—when I try to follow someone on TikTok, the button just doesn’t work. Sometimes it looks faded, and other times it says “Unable to follow.” At first, I thought it was just slow internet. But when it kept happening, I knew there had to be another reason.

So, why does this happen?

Here are some common reasons people can’t follow back on TikTok:

• The app has temporary follow limits
  
• The account is shadowbanned
  
• There’s a glitch or bug in the app
  
• The region has certain restrictions
  
• The user has blocked the account
  

In this guide, I’ll explain each reason and how to fix it.

Why Can’t I Follow People on TikTok

TikTok Follow Limit Reached

TikTok doesn’t let you follow people without limits. On average, you can follow up to 200 accounts in a single day. If you try to go beyond that, you’ll likely see a message like “You’re following too fast.” Even within one session, following more than 10 to 15 accounts back-to-back can cause problems.

How to fix it:

• Don’t follow too many people at once. After every 10–15 follows, pause for about 10–15 minutes.
  
• If you’ve already hit the daily limit, wait 24 hours before trying again.
  
• Unfollow accounts you need to keep your following list clean.
  
• TikTok also has a lifetime follow limit of around 10,000 accounts. If you’ve reached that number, unfollow a few people before adding new ones.
  

Shadowban or Account Limits

If you’ve been breaking TikTok’s rules often—like posting copyrighted stuff, using fake followers, or adding banned hashtags—there’s a high chance your account has been shadowbanned. That means TikTok limits your reach without any official warning. Your videos still show up for your current followers, but TikTok’s Algorithm will not show it to new people. Sometimes, even the follow button stops working.

What you can do to get Unshadowbanned on TikTok:

• Go through TikTok’s community guidelines and see if you’ve missed anything.
  
• Try not to follow or unfollow too many accounts at once — it can look suspicious to TikTok..
  
• Try sharing your own content and avoid anything that could raise red flags.
  
• Shadowbans usually don’t last forever. But if you’re sure you haven’t done anything wrong, try contacting TikTok support for help.

App Glitches and Technical Issues

Sometimes, the reason you can’t follow someone isn’t a restriction—it’s just a glitch. Bugs in the app, an old version, or even weak internet can mess things up. For example, if your connection is slow or your phone’s storage is full, TikTok might not run properly. You might’ve seen messages like “Comments aren’t available”—and in the same way, the follow button can stop working too.

What to do:

• Check your internet: Check that your internet connection is working properly and isn’t dropping.
• Update the app: Use the latest version of TikTok. Older versions often cause bugs or weird behavior.
  
• Clear cache or reinstall: Go to your phone’s settings, find TikTok, and clear its cache (Settings > Apps > TikTok > Storage > Clear Cache). If needed, uninstall and reinstall the app.
  
• Restart your phone: A quick restart can sometimes fix small issues instantly.
  
• Check your app version: If you’re using a modded version like TikTok 18+, make sure it’s from a trusted source. If TikTok isn’t available in your country’s app store, you might need to use a VPN or alternative method (more on this in the next section).

Region Restrictions and TikTok Bans

In some countries, TikTok—or certain features of it—may be officially banned or restricted. For example, in the United States, there have been ongoing efforts to block the app due to concerns over data privacy and national security. If you’re living in a country where TikTok has been removed from the app store, you won’t be able to redownload TikTok directly. And if you already have it installed, some features might not work properly.

Similarly, in certain regions, modded versions of TikTok—like TikTok 18+ used for adult content—are also blocked or limited.

• Check if TikTok is banned in your country: First, check if TikTok is actually banned in your country. Some countries like India, Australia, Afghanistan, Belgium, and Canada have already banned it. Even in the U.S., this short video sharing site has faced temporary bans in the past — and there’s a high chance it could be fully banned in 2025.
  
• Change your region/account settings: If your Google or Apple account is set to a country where TikTok is blocked (like the U.S.), switch your region. For iPhone users, go to Settings → Apple ID → Country/Region and change it to a country where this app is still available. Then check the App Store again.
  
• Use a VPN: To change your virtual location, you can use a VPN. Apps like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark let you connect through countries where it is accessible. If you’re unsure which one to pick, check out our guide on the best VPNs for TikTok.
  
• Try alternative sources: If TikTok isn’t available through official stores, you can try downloading a trusted third-party version like TikTok 18. 

Someone Might Have Blocked You on TikTok

If you’re trying to follow a user on TikTok and can’t, it’s possible they’ve blocked you. When someone blocks on TikTok, features like follow, like, and messaging are disabled. In such cases, the follow button might appear greyed out, or you might see an error.

Step-by-Step Solution:

• 1. Check if You’ve Blocked Them First
  Go to your blocked accounts list on TikTok to make sure you haven’t accidentally blocked them. Navigate to:
  Profile > Settings > Privacy > Blocked Accounts.
  If their username appears there, you’ll need to unblock them on TikTok before trying to follow again.
• 2. You Might Have Blocked Them by Mistake
  Sometimes users get blocked unintentionally. If that happens, simply unblock them first, then try following again.
• 3. If They Blocked You
  If the other person has blocked you, there’s not much you can do unless they unblock you. You can ask them politely to remove the block, but until they do, you won’t be able to follow or interact with them on TikTok.
• How to Block Someone on TikTok
  If you want to block someone in the future, check out TikTok’s guide on how to block users. But for follow-related issues, the above unblock steps are more useful.

Private Account or Other Settings Might Be the Reason

Sometimes, the user you’re trying to follow has set their TikTok account to private. In this case, your follow request is sent, but you won’t appear in their follower list until they approve it. Instead of a “Follow” button, you’ll see “Requested” or the same follow option again. The solution is simple: either wait patiently or send them a message asking them to accept your request.

TikTok has also introduced a new feature called Profile View History, which shows who has visited your profile. If you don’t want others to see when you check their profiles, you can turn this feature off. While this setting doesn’t directly affect the following process, it’s still useful to know. Keeping a profile private doesn’t block followers—it just means you’ll need to wait for approval after sending a request.

FAQs