TikTok has easily become one of the most popular social media platforms around the world. Yet, in many ways, the app is still very much in development with new features being added constantly. One such feature is the ability to see which videos you’ve already watched, aka your TikTok Watch History. This can be an important tool for daily TikTok users, especially when you accidentally refresh your “For You” page or forget to favorite a video.
Also read: How to Download TikTok Videos Anywhere
How the TikTok Watch History Feature Works
TikTok launched its Watch History feature in March 2022. The feature was slowly rolled out to users and is now widely available to everyone. This is not an uncommon approach for TikTok, as many TikTok features, like longer-length videos and automatic closed captioning, went through beta testing before going mainstream across the app.
Once you enable Watch History, you can use it to view all of the videos you’ve watched over the past seven days, including videos you favorited (“hearted”) and ones you simply watched. Furthermore, your view history includes videos you didn’t watch all the way through, meaning you can even recover videos you accidentally scrolled past!
Although all users can now access their Watch History, the feature is only available through the mobile app at this time. Users who watch TikTok through their desktop browser can’t access their previously watched videos – at least not through this feature. However, there are a couple of workarounds that we cover below.
You must first enable the Watch History feature before taking advantage of it and know where to find it, as it’s not as obvious as you may think.
How to Enable and View TikTok Watch History on Android
- Open your TikTok mobile app.
- Tap on “Profile” at the bottom right.
- On your profile page, click the three bars at the top right, then select “Settings and privacy.”
- Scroll down and press “Watch history” under “Content & Activity.”
- Tap on Settings (gear icon) at the top right.
- Tap the toggle to turn on “Watch history.”
- Tap the Close button on the Settings dialog.
You’ll see all of the videos you have viewed or scrolled through over the past seven days. Scroll up and down to see the clips, then tap on any video you want to watch. You’re free to return to this section anytime!
To disable watch history, simply follow the steps outlined above but tap to toggle your watch history “off” in Step 6.
Also read: How to Add Two or More Songs to Your TikToks
How to Enable and View TikTok Watch History on iOS
- Open your TikTok mobile app.
- Tap on “Profile” at the bottom right.
- On your profile page, click the three bars at the top right.
- Select “Settings and privacy” at the bottom of the page.
- Scroll down and press “Watch history” under “Content & Activity.”
- Tap on Settings (gear icon) at the top right then the toggle to enable your Watch History.
- Tap the Close button on the Settings dialog.
Clearing Your Watch History on Android and iOS
Your view history will automatically clear anything more than seven days old from the clip list. However, you can also clear your TikTok history at any time by following these steps.
- Go to Profile.
- Navigate to “Settings and privacy.”
- Select “Watch history.”
- Tap on the Settings icon.
- Tap on “Clear history” in the settings dialog.
Also read: How to Create Stories on TikTok
How to View TikTok History on PC
Unfortunately, TikTok does not have a straightforward way to view Watch History in your browser or in the desktop app like it does on its mobile apps. Luckily, there’s a workaround you can fall back on: downloading your data. While it’s quite time consuming, it may help in a pinch.
- Log in to your account at TikTok.com.
- Hover over the profile icon, then click “Settings.”
- Scroll down to the “Privacy” section and click “Download Your Data.”
- Verify the data format you want to receive, then click the button that says “Request data.”
- It can take up to four days to receive your data. Check under the “Download Data” tab to see whether your data is ready to access.
More Ways to View TikTok History
There are a couple of extra “hacks” you can use to find previously watched videos. These are handy if you do not have the Watch History feature yet or the feature vanished suddenly.
Use Discover Search
Use the Search function from the Discover part of the app as a replacement for Watch History. Follow the steps below to find your TikTok Watch History by performing a search.
- Open TikTok and navigate to “Discover” in the bottom toolbar.
- In the search bar of Discover, simply type an asterisk (*), then push search.
- Once the searched items appear, tap on the Filter icon and press the toggle to turn on “Watched videos.”
You’ll see your watched videos.
This feature gives mixed results and also does not populate videos in the order you watched them. However, it’s a good trick that may help if you want to locate a specific video.
Like the Videos You Watch
Another trick to get quick access to watched videos is to hit the “Like” button every time you enjoy a certain clip on the social app. When you need to retrieve a video, you can bring up your Liked videos list and easily find the desired video there.
Liking a video on TikTok is easy. Press the heart icon on the left side of the clip either in the app or browser. Alternatively, hit the “Favorites” icon (right underneath the “Comments” icon) and save the video as part of a collection, which will also be visible on your profile in the “Favorites” tab.
Also read: How to Check Who Viewed Your TikTok Profile
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my followers see my Watch History?
No. Other users cannot see the videos you watch on your TikTok app.
Can I delete specific videos from my TikTok Watch History?
For now, TikTok only has the option to clear your entire watch history, not remove specific videos.
How can I find TikTok videos I’ve commented on?
Unfortunately, you can’t. So, if you were thinking of using comments as a way to track the videos you have watched, it won’t be possible. We suggest liking the videos you commented on instead so that you can return to them easily any time you want.
Image credit: cottonbro via Pexels. All screenshots by Megan Glosson.
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