Can’t you send TikToks to friends? It could be related to the video, the contact, your messaging settings or the app. First, send a different video to the same friend. Then try sending the original video to another friend. This gives you an initial indication of where the problem lies, without immediately changing all kinds of settings.
Follow the steps below that match what you see on your screen.
Test where TikTok sharing goes wrong
First, look at exactly what happens. Is your friend not in the list? Do you get an error message as soon as you send the video? Or does your friend receive the message but cannot watch the video? Each problem requires a different check.
Try the tests below. For the second test, choose another friend you normally send something to as well.
| Test | What can you check next? |
|---|---|
| Send a different video to the same friend. | Does that work? Then first check the original video. |
| Send the original video to another friend. | Does that work? Then check the contact and your messaging settings with each other. |
| Send a short text message in your existing conversation, if possible. | Does that not work either? Then the problem does not seem to be limited to sharing videos. |
The results provide clues but do not prove what the cause is. Therefore, change one thing at a time and test again afterwards.
A fictional example: you send your sister a cooking video and a cat video. Only the cat video arrives. Then check whether you can still open the cooking video yourself. Also ask what your sister sees: is the message missing, or can she simply not play the video? In the latter case, sending may actually be working.
Why is a friend missing from Share on TikTok?
Is one friend missing from the Share list? That does not immediately mean they have blocked you. First check the account and your conversation.
- Find the right profile. Compare the username. If in doubt, ask which name your friend currently uses.
- Open your existing conversation. Can you still find it? Try sending a short text message there, if that option is visible.
- Ask what your friend sees. Can they find your profile and send you a message?
- Look at other contacts. Is only this friend missing, or can you choose nobody?
Can you not find the profile at all? Then check together whether you are looking for the right account. Sending the same video over and over will not help you find out.
Check who can send you TikTok messages
On TikTok, you can set who is allowed to send you direct messages. This is explained in the official explanation of direct messages. A direct message is a private message, also called a DM.
In your settings, look for privacy and messages. Check which option is active there. Ask your friend to do the same, so you can check the settings of both accounts.
Also check that you have not accidentally blocked each other. You do not have to allow messages from everyone to investigate this.
Is the direct messaging option missing, or does your friend see different choices? The options may differ by account, age and app version. Note what is missing for you. You can pass this on later when asking for help.
Can you not send a regular text message either? Then read why you cannot send a DM on TikTok. There you will find general information about messaging. The tests here are mainly intended for sharing videos.
Test the TikTok app and your connection
Does sharing fail with multiple videos and multiple friends? Then check the app and your connection. Complete these steps in order:
- Close TikTok completely and reopen the app. Then try sending one video.
- Check your internet connection. For example, open a web page. Does that fail to load properly too? Then try another trusted network. If you use mobile data, this may use data from your allowance.
- Check whether there is an update. Open the app store on your phone and check whether you can update TikTok.
- Restart your phone. Then try sending the same video to the same friend.
These steps help you investigate whether there is a temporary problem. They do not change who is allowed to send messages according to the messaging settings.
Do not delete TikTok immediately. First check whether you can still log in and whether you can save work that is stored only on your phone. Reinstalling is no guarantee that sharing will work afterwards.
Get help if sending TikToks does not work
Is sharing still not working? TikTok offers an account status check for problems with account features. Review the information about your account status before reporting the problem.
Then use the available help option in TikTok. Explain as precisely as possible what is going wrong:
- Does it concern one video or multiple videos?
- Is one friend missing, or can you send nothing to anyone?
- Do regular text messages arrive?
- What exact error message do you see, and when did you see it?
- Which tests have you already done?
- Which phone and app version are you using, if you can find that information?
If necessary, attach a screenshot of the error message. Make names and private conversations unreadable if they are not needed for your question. Also mention the results of your tests, so it is clear what does and does not work. Once your account is working as intended, you can explore our TikTok services to compare packages for followers and likes for your public profile or content.
