Can’t Send A TikTok To A Friend On The App? Here’s Why

You’ve just watched a fantastic TikTok video that showed up on your feed, and your first impulse is to share it with a friend who you know will enjoy it.

You click the “Share” icon (the sweeping right arrow) on the TikTok post and choose the friend you want to send it to — but they can’t receive it.

That’s odd. What could be the problem?

Let’s find out.

Why Can’t I Send TikToks to My Friends?

There are several reasons why you may run into this issue on the social media platform.

Possibility #1: The Friend(s) May Have Blocked You

When a TikTok user blocks you, you’re not allowed to interact with them in any way — and that includes sharing and sending direct messages.

You could just copy the video’s link and share it on a different platform or via email, but if they’ve blocked you on TikTok, they may not want to hear from you at all. It might make sense to contact the friend another way and ask why you’ve been blocked. You may have a bigger issue than an inability to share videos that needs to be resolved.

There’s a more benign possibility as well: your friend may simply have restricted or blocked all DMs. In that case, you may not be able to share videos with them.

Possibility #2: You or Your Friend Is Younger Than 16

When you share a video with a friend on TikTok, it’s sent to the second person via direct message. Users under the age of 16, however, aren’t allowed to use the app’s DM function. When you try to share content with a young user (or if you’re too young yourself), the share won’t go through.

Your only alternative is to use text, email, or another method to forward the video’s link — or wait until you’ve all turned 16.

Possibility #3: The Video Is Set to Private

When a content creator uploads a video, they can choose to make their posts private. The designation means that only mutual followers can view it; in other words, it’s only visible to someone who follows the creator and is followed by the creator.

If you’ve been able to see a private video that you want to share, you must be one of the creator’s mutual followers. The friend you want to send it to, though, may not be. In that case, you aren’t allowed to share the video with them.

Possibility #4: Glitches

Several potential issues fall into this category.

• TikTok Glitches: The app occasionally has technical problems that temporarily disable some TikTok functions. If this is what’s causing your difficulty, the issue should be resolved quickly.
• App Glitches: The app on your phone may have locked up, you may have run out of storage space, or you may have an outdated version. Try restarting the app, restarting your phone, clearing your app’s cache, or as a last resort, uninstalling the app and installing the latest version.
• Connectivity Glitches: If you don’t have a strong Internet connection, some TikTok functions might not work properly. Try switching locations to find a stronger signal, changing networks, or switching from Wi-Fi to cellular data to see if that helps.

If all else fails, just copy the video’s URL and send it to your friend via text or email. If the content is as good as you think it is, they’ll appreciate it!