Once You’ve Liked A TikTok Video, Can You Delete The Like?

It’s simple to like a TikTok post after you’ve finished watching the video (or even while it’s still playing). Just hit the heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen, make sure it’s turned red, and you’re done.

But what happens if you hit the heart accidentally when you really meant to check out the post’s comments (the icon right below the heart) or the content creator’s profile (the icon right above)? Or what if you liked the video, but you later had second thoughts and now want to unlike it?

Can you “retract” your like?

Absolutely, and there are several ways to do it. Read on.

Immediately Deleting a TikTok Like

Unliking a TikTok video is just as easy as liking it as long as the post is still on your screen. Just tap the heart icon a second time and the heart will change back from red to white. Your like has been deleted.

That’s great if you haven’t moved on to watch other videos in your feed. If you have, the post you liked is probably gone. You can bring it back up by finding it on your TikTok profile page, though.

Deleting a TikTok Like Later On

Maybe there was “something” about your like that started bothering you a few minutes or a few hours afterward. It might have been insensitive, it might have perpetuated a stereotype, or it might have contained a dirty joke that you didn’t “get” until you thought about it for a while.

You can always go back and remove your like, if necessary. Here are the steps to take.

1. Go to your TikTok profile by tapping the “Profile” icon at the bottom right of your home screen.
2. Click on the heart icon that’s in the horizontal menu above your content grid.
3. You’ll now see all of the videos you’ve liked. Clicking on the one you want to unlike will open it full-screen. Tap the heart.

You’ve now deleted your like.

Deleting All of Your TikTok Likes

Let’s say you’ve found a new job and you don’t want them to see the type of TikTok content you’ve liked. Or you’re “reorienting” your TikTok account and don’t want to see the same type of videos you’ve been shown in the past (the TikTok algorithms use your engagements to decide which posts will be displayed on your feed). Or you’ve hit the system’s limit (500) on daily likes.

Can you remove all of your likes with just one click?

Unfortunately, no. You only have three options:

• You can use the process we just described and go through all of your likes, deleting each one individually.
• You can hide your likes. Open the menu (three horizontal lines) at the top of your profile, select “Settings and privacy,” choose “Privacy,” and scroll down to “Liked videos.” You can then decide whether you want your likes to be visible to everyone, just your followers, or “Only you.” Choosing “Only you” will make your likes invisible to everyone else on the app.
• Use a third-party TikTok mass delete app. Many are available.

TikTok was designed as a platform that encourages mass engagement — but above all, you’re in charge of the experience you have on the app. If you feel that letting others see which videos you enjoy and appreciate is not in your best interest, don’t hesitate to hide or delete your likes.