Where to find TikTok's notification settings

Open TikTok and tap the profile icon in the bottom right corner. From your profile page, tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu icon) in the top right. Scroll down until you see "Settings and privacy" and tap it. Then tap "Notifications".

You are now in the main notifications control panel. TikTok separates notifications into different types — likes, comments, messages, sounds, and others — and you can turn each one on or off individually. This is where you make the actual changes.

Key Takeaways

  • TikTok notifications are controlled through Settings and privacy > Notifications, not through your phone's settings alone.
  • You can turn off specific notification types (likes, comments, messages, sounds) without turning off all notifications.
  • Turning off notifications in TikTok does not affect other apps on your phone.
  • If notifications still arrive after you turn them off in TikTok, check your phone's app notification settings as a second step.

Turning off individual notification types

In the Notifications menu, you will see toggles next to different notification categories. "Likes" controls notifications when someone likes your video. "Comments" controls notifications when someone comments. "Messages" controls direct messages from other users. "Sounds" controls whether notifications make a sound when they arrive.

Tap any toggle to turn that notification type off. The toggle will change color (usually from blue to gray) to show it is now off. You can turn off all of them, or leave some on and turn others off — the choice is yours. For example, many people turn off "Likes" and "Comments" but keep "Messages" on so they do not miss direct conversations.

Turning off all TikTok notifications at once

If you want to stop all notifications from TikTok without uninstalling the app, look for an option called "Allow notifications" or "Notifications" at the top of the Notifications menu. Turning this off will silence all notification types at once.

This is faster than toggling each type individually, but it also means you will not receive any TikTok notifications — including messages — until you turn this setting back on. If you only want to silence some notifications, use the individual toggles instead.

Checking your phone's notification settings

Even if you turn off notifications inside TikTok, your phone's operating system may still allow TikTok to send notifications. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > TikTok and make sure "Allow Notifications" is toggled off. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > TikTok > Notifications and toggle off "Show notifications".

This second layer of control exists because your phone manages notifications separately from each app. TikTok can request permission to send notifications, but your phone has the final say. If TikTok notifications keep arriving even after you turned them off in the app, this phone-level setting is usually the culprit.

Turning notifications back on for specific situations

You might want to keep most notifications off but turn on messages from close friends. Unfortunately, TikTok does not have a "priority contacts" feature like some other apps do. Your options are to turn all message notifications on, or turn them all off.

If you want to check messages without notifications, you can open TikTok manually and tap the message icon (usually an envelope) at the bottom of the screen. This way you control when you see messages instead of being interrupted by them.

Why notifications keep arriving after you turn them off

The most common reason is that you turned off notifications in TikTok but not on your phone itself. Start by checking your phone's settings using the steps above. Another possibility is that you turned off one type of notification (like "Likes") but left another type on (like "Comments"). Go back to the Notifications menu and verify which toggles are actually off.

If you turned off all notifications in both TikTok and your phone, but notifications still arrive, try closing TikTok completely and reopening it. Sometimes the app needs to refresh to explore the change. If that does not work, uninstall and reinstall TikTok — this clears out any stuck settings that might be overriding your choices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off TikTok notifications affect notifications from other apps?

No. Turning off TikTok notifications only affects TikTok. Your phone's notifications from text messages, email, other social media apps, and everything else will continue to work normally.

Can I turn off notifications for just one person?

TikTok does not have a feature to mute notifications from specific users. You can only turn notification types on or off for everyone. If you want to avoid messages from someone, you can block them instead — go to their profile, tap the three dots, and select "Block".

What is the difference between turning off notifications in TikTok and on my phone?

TikTok's settings control what the app is allowed to notify you about. Your phone's settings control whether the app can send notifications at all. You need both turned off to completely stop notifications. Turning off only one usually is not enough.

Do I lose messages if I turn off message notifications?

No. Messages will still arrive and be stored in your inbox. You just will not be notified when they come in. You can read them whenever you open TikTok and check your messages manually.

How do I turn notifications back on if I change my mind?

Go back to Settings and privacy > Notifications and toggle the notification types back on. If you also turned them off on your phone, go to your phone's Settings > Apps > TikTok > Notifications and toggle "Show notifications" back on.