TikTok’s For You page (FYP) is designed to show you videos that are relevant and interesting to you based on your interactions on the app.
The FYP uses an algorithm that personalizes the content you see based on factors like your interests, what videos you like, comment on or share, and who you follow.
However, sometimes the FYP may stop showing you viral and trending videos that are popular on TikTok.
If your FYP seems stale and isn’t updating with new viral content, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to get it working properly again.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain in detail why your FYP may not be showing viral videos and provide expanded solutions to help refresh your feed and resume seeing popular TikTok trends.
Reasons Why FYP Is Not Showing Viral Videos
Here are some common reasons why your FYP may not be surfacing viral content:
Over-Personalized Feed
The FYP algorithm may have over-personalized your feed too much based on your existing interests and engagement. This means it serves you more of the types of videos you already watch rather than expanding to new viral content.
For example, if you’ve liked and viewed mainly cooking videos, your FYP may show mostly cooking content. This can prevent new viral dance trends or challenges from appearing in your feed.
Location Settings
TikTok tailors content based on your device’s location settings. If your location is turned off in your phone’s settings or the TikTok app, you may miss out on geo-targeted viral content.
Viral trends are often localized, so having your location enabled allows you to see what’s trending among TikTok users in your city, state, or country. Disabling location makes your FYP less tailored and more generic.
Account Settings
Your TikTok account settings like your preferred language, content preferences, or digital wellbeing controls may block certain videos from appearing if they don’t match your preferences.
For instance, if you have TikTok’s Restricted Mode enabled, some viral dance or challenge videos may be excluded from your FYP. Having a narrow language setting could also limit viral content.
Algorithm Glitches
Like any algorithm, TikTok’s can have issues or get stuck in patterns, preventing it from updating your feed appropriately with new viral videos.
As users interact with different content, the algorithm adapts, but sometimes fails to show new trends. Resetting your TikTok FYP can help “unstick” it from any flawed patterns.
Shadowban
While rare, some users report being “shadowbanned” where TikTok restricts your reach and visibility. This prevents your content and FYP from accessing viral videos for unknown reasons.
A shadowban makes it seem like you’re posting normally, but your activity is severely limited behind the scenes. Reach out to TikTok support if you suspect this issue.
How to Fix TikTok FYP Not Showing Viral Videos
If your FYP isn’t showing current viral videos, don’t worry – the good news is there are steps you can take to refresh it:
1. Reset Your FYP Feed
The easiest way to quickly refresh your FYP is to reset it. Here’s how:
- Open your TikTok app and tap on the Profile icon in the bottom right.
- Tap on the three horizontal line Menu icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
- Tap “Content preferences” under the “Content & Display” tab.
- On the “Content preferences” screen that next appears, tap on “Refresh your For You feed.”
- Tap on “Continue” then proceed to tap on the “Refresh” button.
Resetting your FYP clears out your full viewing history, likes, and dislikes. This forces the algorithm to rebuild your recommendations from scratch and allows it to fully refresh with new trending content tailored for you.
Give your FYP 1-2 days after resetting to repopulate viral videos based on your interactions. Avoid immediately liking niche content so it can properly calibrate.
2. Adjust Location Settings
Enabling location services grants TikTok access to serve you geo-targeted content for your area that may be going viral locally.
To enable location services:
- Go to your TikTok Profile > Menu > Settings and privacy
- Tap “Location” and toggle “Location access” on
- Select “While using the app” under Location permission
This allows TikTok to pull videos based on trending content in your city, state, or country while using the app. Local trends are often different than wider viral content.
Alternatively, you can manually enter your location info if you prefer not to enable location access. Go to Profile > Menu > Settings and privacy > Location > Edit location to input details.
3. Expand Your Interests
Interact with a wider range of content that interests you – even if it’s outside your usual viewing habits on TikTok.
- Check out TikTok’s Discover page for new topic categories and creators to follow.
- Search trending hashtags and viral sounds each day and like several videos featuring them.
- Follow some new creators with content different from those you normally watch to diversify your FYP.
This signals TikTok to include viral content relevant to your expanded interests. If you only stick to a narrow niche, your FYP will exclude most mainstream trends.
4. Double Check Your Account Settings
Ensure your TikTok account settings are not unintentionally blocking certain videos or languages:
- Go to Profile > Menu > Settings and Privacy > Content preferences
- Set “Restricted Mode” and “Limit mature content” to off
- Under “Language” check that your preferred languages are selected
- Disable “Digital wellbeing” features like Screen Time limit or Restricted Mode
Modifying these filters can allow more content to come through on your FYP. You may have enabled restrictions long ago that now limit viral content.
5. Engage With Videos You Want to See More Of
The FYP algorithm looks at how you engage with videos to determine your interests. Be sure to properly interact with content you want to see more of.
- Watch videos all the way through instead of immediately swiping away
- Like videos so the algorithm knows you enjoyed them
- Comment on videos relevant to your interests
- Tap “Share” to repost videos you find interesting
This trains the FYP algorithm over time to refine your interests and serve you more of that viral, trending content. Rushing through videos sends negative signals.
6. Avoid Overusing Side/Alt Accounts
Having multiple side or alternate TikTok accounts can confuse the algorithm across both feeds and prevent your main FYP from being accurate.
Try using just one account as your primary and limiting any secondary accounts. The algorithm works best when it can hone in on your interests based on a single usage pattern.
7. Give Your FYP Time to Update
Don’t expect your FYP to change radically overnight after making changes. Allow 1-2 weeks for your activity to gradually improve video recommendations related to new interests and viral content.
The algorithm takes time to re-align based on your engagement habits. Stay consistent with interacting with viral content.
8. Contact TikTok Support
If you’ve tried all other troubleshooting tips for several weeks and your FYP still doesn’t show viral videos tailored for you, consider reaching out to TikTok support.
- In the TikTok app, go to your Profile > Menu > Settings and privacy > Report a problem
- Or visit TikTok’s help center online and submit a request
Explain the issues you’re experiencing in detail for personalized help getting your FYP fixed by TikTok’s team.
Tips to Keep Your FYP Fresh
Once you’ve gotten your FYP back on track showing viral content, these tips can help keep it refreshed long-term:
- Check your FYP at different times of day for variety. Content shifts quickly.
- Tap “Not Interested” on irrelevant niche videos to train the algorithm
- Follow a diverse group of creators beyond just top influencers
- Frequently search trending sounds & hashtags to find emerging viral content
- Periodically clear your watch history to reset your profile
- Limit the use of any secondary TikTok accounts
- Provide feedback to TikTok on inaccurate recommendations
- Engage consistently with viral videos to reinforce your interests
Troubleshooting FYP Errors
Here are some common FYP error messages and how to resolve them:
“Couldn’t refresh feed. Pull to retry” – This usually indicates a temporary glitch. Pull down to refresh your feed or force close and reopen the app.
“No more videos” – You’ve reached the end of your current FYP recommendations. Tap into Discover or change sort option to “New” to find more videos.
“This video is unavailable” – The video was likely blocked, deleted or set to private. Simply refresh your feed to find other trending content.
FYP not loading – This is typically caused by poor internet connection. Check your WiFi or mobile data. Restarting your device can also help.
Can’t find videos – If searching a sound/hashtag yields no results, it likely means that content is blocked by your account settings. Adjust your restrictions.
Stuck on same videos – Force close the app and clear cache/data to refresh your feed if you see the same videos reappearing.
Conclusion
TikTok’s FYP algorithm does an impressive job of delivering relevant content when operating smoothly. But when it fails to show the latest viral videos tailored for you, there are steps you can take to get your personalized FYP feed back on track.
The most impactful fixes include resetting your FYP, expanding your interests, properly engaging with desired content daily, disabling restrictions, allowing time for updates, and contacting TikTok support if needed. With consistent effort, you can regain a lively FYP full of trending videos.
Hopefully this expanded guide provides even more helpful troubleshooting solutions to resolve your TikTok FYP not showing you like or viral videos. Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips or questions!
