Fix “Couldn’t Find a TikTok Account Associated With This Phone Number”

Have you ever tried to log into your TikTok account or search for someone’s profile only to be met with the frustrating “Couldn’t find a TikTok account associated with this phone number” message? If so, you’re not alone. This is a common error that many TikTok users encounter at one point or another.

The good news is that in most cases, this error can be easily fixed by following some basic troubleshooting steps.

In this post, we’ll walk you through all the potential causes of this error message, along with actionable solutions to get your TikTok account back up and running.

Why You Might Be Seeing This Error Message

Before diving into the step-by-step instructions on how to fix this issue, it’s helpful to understand why it happens in the first place. Here are some of the most common reasons you might encounter the “couldn’t find a TikTok account” error:

You Entered the Wrong Phone Number

The most straightforward explanation is that you simply entered an incorrect phone number that is not actually associated with the TikTok account you’re trying to access.

For example, perhaps you’re attempting to log into your own account but accidentally typed a wrong digit in your phone number. Or maybe you’re searching for a friend’s or family member’s profile but don’t have their exact, up-to-date phone number linked to their TikTok account.

Minor typos can easily happen, but they can cause TikTok to fail to recognize the account attached to that phone number. Always double and triple check that you’re entering the complete, accurate phone number before trying to log in or search.

There’s a Typo in the Username

Similarly, if you’re searching for someone’s TikTok account by username rather than phone number, a simple spelling or punctuation error could yield the “couldn’t find account” message.

TikTok usernames are case sensitive and can include special characters. For example, entering “@tiKtOKqueen” instead of the correct “@TikTokQueen” or “@tiktokqueen1234” instead of “@tiktokqueen_1234” will make it seem like that user doesn’t exist.

Be extra careful that you have the exact, precise username – character for character – when searching TikTok profiles to avoid landing on an error page.

The Account No Longer Exists

While minor text entry errors are the most likely culprit, there is also a possibility that the TikTok account you’re looking for no longer exists. Accounts can be deleted, deactivated, banned, or removed for violating TikTok’s community guidelines.

If you’re attempting to access your own account, this is less likely to be the reason unless your account was recently banned. But if searching for someone else’s profile, it’s possible their account is gone.

You can test this by asking a mutual friend if they can still view the profile from their device. If not, it likely no longer exists on TikTok’s platform.

Temporary App Glitches or Corrupted Cache

Finally, the issue can sometimes stem from device-specific glitches, corrupted cached app data, or minor software bugs. Closing and reopening the app, updating the app, or clearing cached data often resolves these types of intermittent technical issues.

The next section covers step-by-step troubleshooting techniques to pinpoint and address problems stemming from any of the potential causes above.

Fixes For “Couldn’t Find a TikTok Account Associated With This Phone Number”

1. Double Check You Have the Correct Phone Number

Given that entering an inaccurate phone number is the most common reason for the “couldn’t find account” error, that should be your first troubleshooting check.

Carefully re-examine the phone number you entered and verify that:

• You have included the correct country code if signing in with an international phone number. For example, U.S. numbers should be preceded by “+1”.
• You have entered all 10 digits without transposing or mistyping any numbers.
• You have not added any extra dashes, brackets, or symbols. Enter only the raw 10-digit number.
• There are no blank spaces before, after, or within the phone number.

Taking an extra minute to thoroughly proofread and validate the accuracy of the phone number format can save you a lot of unnecessary hassle down the road.

If possible, pull up the phone number from a previous transaction, account info sheet, or even your contacts list rather than attempting to enter it manually each time. This reduces the margin of error.

Once 100% certain you have precisely the right phone number for the account in question, attempt your TikTok login or search again. If still receiving the error message, you can rule out phone number typos being the culprit.

2. Check for Typos in the Username

If entering a TikTok username to search for someone’s profile, closely check that:

• You have the username spelled correctly, including capital and lowercase letters. TikTok usernames are case sensitive.
• Any numbers or special characters within the username are entered accurately without typos.
• There are no unintended blank spaces before, after, or within the username. Any spacing inconsistencies will cause issues.

For example, @JohnSmith would not yield the same account as @johnsmith or @johnmith. Carefully check that every letter and character of the username matches the profile you are searching for.

If you don’t have the exact username handy, try searching on Google or asking the person whose account you’re seeking for their precise TikTok username spelling. Entering anything even slightly different can make it appear the account doesn’t exist.

With the right username verified, attempt you search again. If you still can’t locate the profile, there must be another cause besides text entry errors at play.

3. Search by Username Instead of Phone Number

Typically, searching TikTok by phone number rather than username will surface quicker, more accurate results and reduce cases of mistaken identities between accounts.

However, if you keep running into dead ends entering someone’s phone but know for certain their correct TikTok username, change tactics and run a search by username instead.

For example, perhaps you have the phone number of your niece Hayley but can’t seem to pull up her profile no matter what. But you do recall that her TikTok handle is @dancinghayley12.

Rather than banging your head against the wall with that possibly outdated phone number, conduct a new search for the “dancinghayley12” username specifically. This redirects TikTok to pull up accounts based on username rather than contact information linked to the profile.

Between the phone number and username search options, hopefully one method will successfully locate the TikTok account in question for you. Here’s how to fix it if your TikTok search bar is not working.

4. Confirm the Account You’re Searching for Still Exists

While an incorrect or outdated phone number and minor text entry errors are generally the easiest issues to diagnose and resolve on your end, they aren’t the only explanations. Another possibility is that the account itself longer exists on TikTok’s platform.

TikTok accounts can disappear for a number of reasons:

• The user chose to delete their account. Like all social platforms, some TikTok users decide to take breaks or delete previously made accounts.
• The account was deactivated temporarily. Sometimes accounts can become temporarily unavailable if TikTok detects suspicious behavior and freezes activity pending an investigation. These are usually restored within a matter of days.
• TikTok banned the account. Accounts violating community guidelines around illegal or dangerous challenges, hate speech, bullying, pornography, spam, copyright infringement, or other prohibited behaviors will be permanently banned by TikTok.

If trying repeatedly to search your own account – You likely remember creating a TikTok profile previously and are surprised to find no record of its existence now.

If trying to locate someone else’s account – You may be attempting to find your child, friend, family member, celebrity, or another acquaintance’s TikTok but are informed no account matching your search exists.

In either case, don’t immediately assume you’re going crazy or did something wrong! The profile could very well have been removed by the user or TikTok without your knowledge.

To confirm whether or not the account still remains live or active elsewhere:

• Ask people in your mutual contacts if they can still view the profile. Have any family members, friends, or followers check if they can still successfully access the account from their device and own searches. If they too are coming up empty, it’s unfortunately been deleted or banned.
• Check other social media platforms connected to the person’s TikTok account. If you recall they had Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, etc. linked in their TikTok bio or featured on their videos, head to those platforms. Search if the same username pops up active elsewhere to indicate they maintain online presence. Lack of any digital footprint makes it more probable the account was purged.

Essentially, tap into your wider social and mutual connections circle to fact check if it’s a problem isolated to you and your device, or if the account has universally gone missing indicating removal.

This quick verification can prevent you from wasting any additional time trying to troubleshoot an account that no longer exists.

5. Restart the TikTok App

Assuming you’ve now confirmed the TikTok profile does still actively exist and the issue appears restricted only to your device interface, the next troubleshooting step is restarting the TikTok app.

Like most software applications, TikTok can develop minor hiccups or glitches after extended usage that temporarily disrupt normal functioning. Perhaps you haven’t closed and refreshed the app in days or weeks, leading to gradual data connections issues.

An app restart helps clear these types of minor software bugs and reconnect the app to TikTok’s servers. Think giving your phone or tablet a quick “breather” before continuing TikTok exploration.

To restart the TikTok mobile application:

1. Completely close out of the TikTok app so that it’s no longer actively running in your mobile background, even if minimized. You can do this by:
   • Swiping up to remove TikTok from your list of open apps
   • Double tapping your phone’s home key if there is one and swiping the TikTok preview away
   • Tapping directly on the X icon next to the TikTok preview if your device utilizes Android navigation gestures
2. Wait 5-10 seconds allowing the app to fully turn off
3. Reopen the TikTok app by:
   • Tapping the icon on your home screen again
   • Searching for TikTok manually to pull up the icon

Give your phone or tablet a few seconds to reload a fresh version of TikTok from scratch. This essentially functions the same as turning a faulty device off and back on again to reboot the system software.

Once you’re back into the app, attempt your login or profile search again. There’s no guarantee a routine app restart will resolve a connectivity issue on its own, but it often helps clear out minor glitches responsible for the “couldn’t find account” error plaguing your specific device interface.

6. Force Quit and Relaunch the App (Android)

If fully closing and reopening TikTok normally doesn’t solve the problem on your Android, the next escalation would be force quitting the application.

Think of force quitting as a more intense app restart. Rather than casually closing TikTok and relaunching, you’re forcibly removing it from your device’s memory to ensure a 100% clean refresh.

Here is how to execute a force quit:

• Open your Android device’s Settings app
• Scroll down and select “Apps” or “Application Manager”. This brings up a list of all apps installed on your phone.
• Locate and select the TikTok app from the apps list.

• Tap “Force stop”.
• A warning may appear explaining the risks of force stopping apps. Tap “OK” to confirm force stopping TikTok in this scenario is what you want.

Force stopping instantly terminates all TikTok processes currently occupying space and functionality in your phone or tablet until manually reopened. It breaks the connection a little more abruptly than standard app restarts.

After about 10-15 seconds with TikTok fully force stopped in your phone or tablet’s background, pull up the TikTok icon again as usual to relaunch it.

Give this refreshed version of the app a minute or two upon opening to reconnect and restore all features as needed, then test if your account login or profile search works once again without error.

Force stopping app functions as a more drastic reboot when simple closes and reopens don’t resolve tech bugs and connectivity issues. While not always effective, it costs nothing to attempt force stopping before moving onto advanced troubleshooting steps.

7. Clear the App Cache and Data (Android/iOS)

If TikTok restart variations and force quits ultimately prove unsuccessful, the next recommendations would be clearing away old cached and temporary app data.

Over weeks and months of constant TikTok use, stored cache, cookies, backgrounds processes, and other temporary usage files can become corrupted. Too much outdated app data cluttering up your phone or tablet can slow performance and sometimes obstruct key features.

Resetting this data gives your device a clean foundation to rebuild necessary TikTok data connections correctly. Follow instructions below tailored to Android or iPhone/iPad:

For Android Devices:

• Go into your device’s Settings menu
• Select “Apps” or “Application Manager”
• Choose TikTok.

• Tap “Storage and cache”.
• Then tap “Clear Cache” and then “Clear Data”
• Confirm clearing the selected TikTok app elements by tapping “OK.”

For iOS/Apple Devices:

• Go to Settings.
• Tap on General.

• Scroll down and tap on iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage).
• Tap on the TikTok app.

• Tap on Offload App.
• Confirm by tapping Offload App again.

Once old TikTok cache and data clears away, the app will restart itself fresh automatically as if newly installed. Attempt accessing your account or searching profiles again. With any luck, wiping that old temporary content resolved the connectivity issues causing error messages.

8. Reinstall the TikTok Mobile App

If absolutely nothing so far has successfully allowed you to login or locate your TikTok account, the last resort is uninstalling then re-downloading the TikTok app wholesale.

This essentially provides your phone or tablet with a 100%, brand new version of TikTok free from ANY legacy issues that may have plagued the old app instance. Follow associated uninstall steps for iPhone/Android below:

Android App Uninstallation

1. Hold finger down on TikTok icon until pop-up menu appears
2. Select “Uninstall” option and confirm wanting to remove the app
3. Open the Google Play Store
4. Search for “TikTok”
5. Download & Install the app again

iPhone Uninstall Process

1. Hold down on the TikTok app icon until all icons jiggle
2. Tap the small “X” that appears on the TikTok icon
3. Confirm removal by pressing “Delete”
4. Open the Apple App Store
5. Search for “TikTok”
6. Select to Download the app again

The freshly downloaded TikTok should operate like you’ve never had it on your phone before. When reopening the app, you may need to log back into your account, remake profile configurations, and re-personalize preferences.

But with all problematic remnants of the older version eliminated in the reinstall, errors like account connectivity issues tend to simultaneously disappear. Fingers crossed that starting 100% fresh finally resolves the “couldn’t find TikTok account” failure!

9. Ensure You Have the Latest TikTok App Version

As one final check before fully throwing in the towel, pull up the app version number of your current TikTok mobile app following version check steps for iPhone or Android.

If your smartphone or tablet is not fully updated to the newest TikTok version, certain bugs causing account connectivity issues may persist. The latest app updates often contain critical software patches, optimizing performance elements on login procedures, profile matching, and user preferences.

Ensuring your mobile app is completely updated provides some protection against avoidable software flaws interfering with key account tools.

To manually update the TikTok application itself:

For Android devices:

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner.
3. Select Manage apps & device.
4. Search for TikTok in the search bar.
5. If an update is available, you’ll see an Update button next to the app name. Tap on it to start the update process.

For iPhone and iPad:

1. Open the App Store app.
2. Tap on the Updates tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Scroll down and look for TikTok. If an update is available, you’ll see an Update button next to the app name. Tap on it to start the update process.

Keep in mind you may need to adjust some of your notification settings and preferences again after a major TikTkok app update. But squashing lingering bugs tends to outweigh that annoyance.

10. Try Logging In With a Different Method

If you’ve been attempting to log into your TikTok account using your phone number, try switching to an alternative login method instead:

• Use your username and password: Open the TikTok app and tap “Log In”. Then enter your full TikTok username and account password instead of inputting a phone number.
• Use a connected social media account: If you previously connected your TikTok profile to other social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., you can attempt logging in through those platforms. For example, tap “Log in with Facebook” and enter your Facebook app login credentials. This may bypass any phone/text verification requirements.
• Use a linked email: If you signed up for your TikTok account using an email address, try tapping “Use email instead” during login and enter the email and password associated with the TikTok profile.

Switching the type of credentials used to verify your identity may help overcome phone/account matching errors during sign in.

11. Check App Permissions

Another possibility is that TikTok no longer has adequate permissions enabled to pull your phone number or access device contacts linked to your account.

Recheck that TikTok has these permissions enabled:

Android

• Settings > Apps > TikTok > Permissions

• Ensure “Contacts” and “Phone” are allowed

iOS

• Settings > Privacy > Contacts > Enable TikTok
• Settings > Privacy > Phone Numbers > Enable TikTok

Granting access again could resolve device matching failures during login or account searches.

12. Wait and Attempt Again Later

Sporadic technical issues with TikTok’s servers can also briefly interfere with account lookups and logins. The connectivity problem may come and go quickly without a permanent fix needed.

Before continuing through extensive troubleshooting, simply wait an hour or more and retry your phone number/username search again later. The error very well may have already resolved itself on TikTok’s end!

13. Attempt Login/Search from a Different Device

To further isolate whether the problem stems from your device or TikTok itself, attempt accessing your account from an alternate phone, tablet, or computer not previously used to interact with TikTok.

For example, search for your TikTok profile from your friend’s smartphone, a public library computer, or other device.

If your account pulls up fine elsewhere, an issue with your original phone’s TikTok app, operating system, permissions, or connectivity is likely causing the “couldn’t find account” error.

But the same error appearing on ALL devices indicates a wider account issue only TikTok can assist with.

14. Contact TikTok Support

After exhausting all standard troubleshooting and account access attempts without success, directly engage TikTok support for additional help regaining access to your account.

You can submit an email request through TikTok’s platform or speak with a TikTok representative by phone during business hours. Supply any details to help verify your identity as the legitimate account owner.

With some extra assistance from customer support, TikTok should be able to successfully reinstate your account access or clarify next steps if banned. Just be sure to first walk through all standard troubleshooting on your end before awaiting their help.

Best of luck getting your TikTok profile back up and running! Let us know which tricks solved the pesky “couldn’t find account” issue for you.