To make their platforms much more interactive and increase usage, most social media platforms have introduced what is known as the live feature where users can broadcast themselves in real-time for their followers to watch and follow and TikTok is not an exception.
In 2019, the TikTok LIVE feature was made with content creators, celebrities and generally users with large following in mind. This does not mean that it is exclusive to that list, no. So long as you have a TikTok account, you can go live on TikTok regardless of the type of account you have or the number of followers you possess.
There are endless possibilities to what you can do when you go live on purpose. It could be an interactive session between you and your followers and other viewers where they ask you questions and you answer, like a video call but with multiple people.
You could choose to stream a game or just show a part of your day-to-day life. You might also have a big announcement for your followers which you feel will have more impact if it is done on live rather than in a normal post.
When it comes to TikTok lives, there are only two parties involved; the user who is broadcasting live and the people who are watching.
When it comes to TikTok lives, anyone at all can watch your live stream videos and you can also watch anyone’s live stream video only if you are online when the broadcast is happening. (The only exception to this is if you are blocked. Then you won’t be able to see their live and neither will they be able to see yours).
How to watch a TikTok live
Don’t you get tired of scrolling through TikTok and watching random posts? After a while, it does get boring but there is another option; which is to watch live videos on TikTok. There are multiple ways you can use to watch TikTok videos when you want to.
Using the search feature
- Open the TikTok app
- Click the search bar at the top right corner of the screen
- In the search bar, type their username
- Click on their profile picture which should have a colored ring around it. (This indicates that they are broadcasting live) to join their live video.
Watch TikTok Live on the Following Page
Another way you can watch Live videos is to visit the Following page. When you open TikTok, there are two sections on your home page; For You and Following.
For You- This page is dedicated to posts that have been developed by the TikTok algorithm based on your interests and videos you watch and these posts are suggested to you.
Following- This section contains posts from only users you follow. With this section, you will not miss the posts of your friends and other users that you follow. The Following tab has a section that displays the live videos of users you follow. This allows you to join the live broadcast of anyone you follow.
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile device
- Swipe right to access the Following tab or click on it
- At the top of the screen, you will see the profile pictures of those you follow with a blue ring around the. This is an indication that they are broadcasting live and clicking on it will open their live feed for you.
Watch TikTok Live Using the LIVE button
With this method, you get to randomly watch live videos on TikTok and pick whichever one interests you. Yes, there is a section on TikTok dedicated to just live videos and every user who is broadcasting live can be found there.
You can scroll through the countless live videos until you find one that is of interest to you and the you watch it.
- Open TikTok
- On the top left-hand corner of the screen, select LIVE
- On the page, swipe up until you find a live video you will like to watch
How To Rewatch Someone Else’s TikTok Live
As a user who is watching TikTok lives, there is nothing you can do if you miss a Live broadcast of your favorite user. This also goes for replaying video you just watched.
It is a live stream that cannot be broadcasted again and the only way to get the video is to screen record the TikTok live with your mobile device.
This is a feature on every smartphone where you can record whatever activities happening on the screen of your phone. Screen recording is a very simple process. All you have to do is select the designated button for the feature and then your recording starts.
How to Replay Someone Else’ TikTok Live on iOS Devices (iPhone and iPad)
For iOS users the screen record button is found in the Control Centre. To access the Control Centre, swipe down from the top right-corner of the screen (for iPhone X and later) or swipe up from the bottom right-corner of the screen (for models below the iPhone X).
Select the screen record button and wait for three seconds for the recording to begin.
How to Rewatch Someone Else’ TikTok Live on Android
The screen record button on Android devices can be found on the navigation panel. Swipe down from the top of the screen to bring up the navigation panel and sift through the icons until you find the icon for screen record. Click on it to begin recording your screen.
How To Replay My Live on TikTok
TikTok reserves the right to replay LIVE videos only for users who go live. This means that the only LIVE videos that you can replay are your own livestreams.
These live broadcasts are available on your LIVE Center where you can choose to either replay, download or delete them. Live broadcasts are automatically deleted 30 days after the stream ends.
How to Access TikTok Live Video Replays
- Open the TikTok app on your device
- Select the Profile icon at the bottom
- Tap the Menu button; the three horizontal lines at the top right corner of the Profile page
- On the pop-up menu, select Creator tools
- Navigate to LIVE Centre and choose the option of either replaying, download or deleting your LIVE videos.
Conclusion
Just because you missed a LIVE video does not mean there should be no way for you to access it again. Try appealing to the creator to download it and then publicly share it as that is a possible alternative.
Next time you are watching a TikTok LIVE video, do not forget to start recording your screen so that the stream can be saved and you can rewatch it at your own convenience.
Explore all the options to save TikTok live videos in this article.
