If you cannot add a TikTok video to your favourites, the cause may be your connection, the app or the video itself. First, try saving another video. Does that work? Then the problem seems to be with that particular video. If it does not work for any video, test your connection and check whether TikTok has an update available.
Below, you can read what to try step by step and where to find your saved videos.
The difference between TikTok favourites, likes and downloads
Giving a video a heart is not the same as adding it to your favourites. So first check how you saved the video.
| Action | What does this do? |
|---|---|
| Liking | You give the video a heart. This does not automatically add it to your favourites. |
| Adding to favourites | You save a reference to the video within TikTok, so you can find it again later. |
| Adding to a collection | You group favourites together, for example recipes or craft tips. |
| Downloading | You save the video as a file on your device, if that option is available. |
Did you only tap the heart? According to TikTok’s explanation of liked videos you can find those videos through your profile. Look under your liked videos, not your favourites.
Would you rather save the video as a file on your phone? Then read about saving a TikTok video when downloading does not work . This requires different steps from adding a video to your favourites.
What goes wrong when adding a TikTok video to your favourites?
Try saving a video and pay attention to what happens. Is the option missing, does the button not respond or does the video not appear in your list? This helps you determine where to look next.
- You do not see an option for favourites. Open another video and see whether the option appears there. The name and location of buttons may differ between app versions.
- The button does not respond. Check whether other parts of TikTok load properly. A video that keeps playing does not tell you enough about your connection. It may already have loaded.
- Saving seems to work, but the video is missing. Check your full list of favourites, not just a collection.
- It does not work with one video. Open that video again. It may no longer be available to you.
Suppose you want to save a pasta recipe. That does not work, but a second recipe does appear in your favourites. First check whether you can still open the first video. You do not need to reinstall the entire app straight away.
What can you do if TikTok favourites are not working?
Try the steps below in this order. Test after each step whether you can save a video. This shows you what makes a difference, so you do not have to do everything.
- Test your connection. Open a new web page. If necessary, switch between wifi and mobile data and try saving the video again. Keep your data allowance in mind.
- Close TikTok completely and reopen the app. Simply returning to your phone’s home screen does not always close the app.
- Check whether an update is available. Check this in your phone’s official app store. An update may fix an error, but it does not always solve the problem.
- Check which account you are using. Do you have multiple accounts? Check that you have opened the correct account. You can also log out and log in again. Only do this if you know your login details and have access to your recovery email or phone number.
- Check temporary storage. This is also called the cache and helps the app load faster. In the settings, look for an option to clear only the cache. Do not simply clear all app data. If it is unclear what the option removes, skip this step.
- Test another video. Check whether the problem still occurs with all videos or only with certain videos.
- You could also try another device of your own. Use the same account if you can log in safely and the favourites option is available there. Does saving work there? Then the problem is more likely to be with the app or phone you used first.
Do not delete TikTok as your first step. Data stored only on your device, such as drafts, may be lost as a result. First check what you want to keep.
Where can you find TikTok favourites and missing videos?
Open your profile and look for Favourites or a bookmark icon. The exact location may differ. First check the overview of saved videos and then a separate collection. Also check that you are using the same account as when you saved the video.
A collection helps you organise favourites. Is a video not in your recipes collection? Search the full list. You may have saved it without adding it to that collection.
A video that was there before has disappeared
A favourite is not a backup copy of the video. If the creator deletes the video or changes who can see it, you may no longer be able to open it. Clearing your cache will not prevent this.
Do you still have the link, for example in a conversation? Open it to check whether the video is still available. Does the link work, but the video is not in your favourites? Try saving it again and then check the list.
Many favourites are missing at once
Check your account and connection and let the list load again. Do this before adding videos again. An empty or incomplete list does not immediately mean that your favourites have beand theleted.
When should you report a problem with TikTok favourites?
Report the problem if you cannot save multiple videos and the steps above do not help. This also applies if the favourites option continues to be missing and you cannot find out why.
The TikTok help on reporting a problem mentions this route: Profile, the menu, Settings and privacy, and Report a problem. The names may be different in your app.
Describe in your report:
- what happens when you try to add a video to your favourites;
- whether the option is missing, the button does not respond or the video does not appear in your favourites afterwards;
- whether it happens with one video or multiple videos;
- which phone and app version you are using;
- what you have already tried.
An example report: “When I add a video to my favourites, it seems to work. After reopening, it is not in my favourites. This happens with three different videos. I updated the app and tested both wifi and mobile data.”
If possible, optionally include a screenshot or short screen recording. Make sure private messages, passwords and login codes are not visible. A report explains what is going wrong, but there is no guarantee that missing favourites will return.