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Whether it’s called bookmarking or favoriting, one of the great features of most social media platforms is the ability to highlight videos you’ve enjoyed, so you can quickly find them again without a long and sometimes fruitless search.
It’s easy to do on TikTok. You hit the “Favorite” icon (it looks like a bookmark) on the right side of a TikTok post, and it’s saved to your profile. To watch, you just have to visit your TikTok profile and tap the “Favorites” icon (a bookmark with a superimposed eye) to see all of the videos you’ve chosen while scrolling your feed.
Only content creators know if you’ve favorited their TikTok video, and no one else can see which ones you’ve bookmarked. It’s an almost-perfect system — unless, for some reason, the system no longer allows you to favorite videos.
What could be the problem?
Why You Might Not Be Able to Favorite TikTok Videos
The issue could be on your end or TikTok’s end. Let’s explore the possible scenarios.
1. The platform may be having technical difficulties
This is relatively rare, but it can happen. The app occasionally experiences tech glitches that interrupt various functions. If a family member or friend is on TikTok, you can ask them if they’re able to favorite videos, you can see you can bookmark on TikTok’s online platform, or you can just wait a few minutes and try again.
2. You may be having connectivity problems
A weak or unstable Internet connection can disrupt access to some of TikTok’s core functions. Move to a different location to see if your wireless signal is bad or intermittent, try using a different network or connection method, or see if you can favorite a video if you log in from your laptop or computer.
3. You may not be connecting from the right place
Some regions of the world may not be able to favorite videos yet, or they may be blocked from accessing some TikTok content. If you’re in the US or UK, for example, but you’re connecting with a VPN, you may not be able to bookmark a video that you like.
4. Your TikTok cache may be full
The cache provides temporary storage for videos and pages you’ve visited, and if there’s too much data in your cache, the app might not function properly or may stop working completely. Try clearing your cache by going to your TikTok profile and then navigating from the menu (three horizontal bars) to “Settings and privacy” > “Free up space” and tap the “Clear” button next to “Cache.”
5. You need to upgrade your TikTok app
Older versions may not provide the bookmarking function, or their automatic updates may have interfered with operations that previously worked. First try signing out and then signing back in or rebooting your phone, but if those don’t work, you should visit the App Store (for iOS devices) or the Google Play Store (for Android devices) and download the latest TikTok version.
6. You may have done something wrong on TikTok
Violating TikTok’s terms and conditions or Community Standards can lead to penalties like shadowbanning, which restricts you from using some of the platform’s features for 3-14 days.
You won’t get a notification that you’re shadowbanned, so there’s no way to be sure if this is the issue, though. Asking a friend to try favoriting a video may help you figure out whether your TikTok account is in a “time out.”
As a last resort, you can ask for help from a support rep either by opening your profile menu and going to “Settings and privacy” > “Report a problem,” or by visiting the online support center at support.tiktok.com. Provide as much information as possible, including a description of the troubleshooting steps you’ve taken, and a rep may provide further guidance.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.