How To Pin A Comment On TikTok: The Secret Method

There’s valuable real estate on a TikTok post that isn’t used very much anymore. It’s called a “pinned comment,” and it’s one of the best ways for content creators to highlight the value of their video or showcase a comment from one of their most devoted fans.

In 2023, without explanation, the social media platform removed the simple way to choose a TikTok comment and pin it to the top of a post.

There’s a backdoor, however, and most TikTok users aren’t even aware of it. Here’s the inside story.

What Is a Pinned Comment?

Popular TikTok videos may accumulate hundreds of comments from users who enjoyed the post and want to thank the content creator, contribute to a discussion about it, or (to the dismay of some creators), make corrections or negative comments.

Some surfers might take the time to explore all of a video’s comments, but most never do. They’re likely to look at the first few comments at best and then resume scrolling their feed.

Until the feature was removed, savvy users regularly chose the most effusive or cleverest comment about their video to “pin,” meaning they selected it to always appear at the top of their comment section. The goal was to make viewers curious enough to watch the content or engage with their poster’s TikTok account.

Some creators selected the comment they wanted to pin for other reasons. They might choose a comment from a dedicated TikTok follower to give them exposure, or they might pin one of their own comments to alert fans to an upcoming Live event, a correction, or some other message they want their fan base to see.

Those options are now largely gone — at least, as far as most content creators know. There’s a secret method, however, that still lets you choose a comment to pin to the top of your post.

How to “Shadow Pin” a Comment on a TikTok Post

Here’s the secret that most people don’t know: when a content creator responds to a comment on their post with another short video, the system automatically boosts that comment and its video reply to the top of the list.

That doesn’t give the creator exactly the same leeway they used to have to highlight promotions or messages — but it does move the chosen comment to the most prominent position underneath the video.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Scroll through the comments on your post and find the one you want to showcase at the top of the section.
2. Press the comment for a few seconds, (which used to give you the option to pin it). Now, you’ll see an option that lets you “Reply with Video.”
3. Record a 2-3 second “thank you” for the comment and click “Post.”
4. Be sure to choose the option to make your reply private (click the “Only you” button underneath “Who can watch this video”), and no one will see your response.
5. Presto! Your chosen comment (without the secret reply) will move to the front of the line and be the first one that surfers see when they stop to check out your post.

Pro tip: Some creators have found that they can use this secret method almost as if they were pinning comments the old-fashioned way.

They comment on their own video with whatever they want to tell visitors, respond to their own comment with a 2-3 second “thank you,” and then private the response. And if they start their comment with “Pinned comment” it’s almost as if the “pin” feature never went away. Give it a try!