If TikTok has been showing you videos you’ve already seen, you are one of many. It is unknown what is causing this malfunction or whether or not a permanent remedy will get put in place. It’s common to see a mixed bag of popular content and more recent videos released only seconds before you accessed the app. And the majority of users prefer TikTok in this format.
Why is TikTok Showing Me the Same Videos
TikTok is known for a personalized, unique experience each time you open the app, so when you’re being shown the same content over and over, it can be a bit alarming and discouraging. TikTok’s algorithm isn’t supposed to be showing the same content over and over, if it’s any source of comfort, and you’re most likely experiencing an error. This usually happens due to the app picking up on which content sources you like the most, and is starting to show you similar content on your FYP. Since TikTok uses user data to personalize your content, sometimes repetition occurs when it thinks that you may want to see the content again or it can’t find any more to show you. There are also other common errors either on your end or TikTok’s end that could be causing this. Here is what might be happening;
1. You’re Using A Different Account
You might actually not be using the account you usually use. If you have ownership of one or two more profiles, there’s a possibility you forgot to switch between them while browsing through your FYP. For this reason, the videos you saw before may be showing up to your other account thinking you’ve never seen them before. To fix this, click on your profile icon on the bottom right and go to your account. At the top should be a swipe-down menu where you can select which account you’re using. Once you’ve chosen your usual account, go back to your for you page and refresh and you should be seeing the new content.
2. Another Account Has Reuploaded the Same Video
Sometimes accounts re-upload videos, especially if it’s a viral trend or meme. Check the username and profile to see if it’s the same person because you might actually not be seeing the same content after all. You can see if it’s the same account by the username, which usually appears at the left-hand side, and you can click on this to double-check if it really is the same account.
3. TikTok Thinks You’ll Want to Watch the Video Again
TikTok’s algorithm ultimately is based on what they think you want to see. Maybe you’ve already rewatched the video a couple times, or it’s more popular among your demographic and they want to show you it again in hopes you’ll rewatch it. Some ways to make sure TikTok knows you’re uninterested in seeing this video again is to click the ‘I’m Not Interested’ option in the click-down menu where you usually share or save videos.
4. Someone is Stitching the Video and You Think The Same Video Has Came Up Again
Stitching is a way that multiple accounts can collaborate on a video or respond to a video. You might be seeing a stitched video which the video you saw before, and a response or collaboration. Watch the video before making a decision on whether the video is a repeat or not. This can be pretty common with trends or challenges on TikTok.
5. Connectivity issues
If you open TikTok and the videos you see are old videos, the first thing you should check is your internet connection. If you are not connected to the internet, you will not be able to connect to the TikTok server, and you will see old videos. Try to establish a connection to the internet and reload TikTok. If your problem is resolved, you know you need to check your connection the next time you face the same problem.
6. TikTok Has a Glitch
If you are connected to the internet and keep seeing old videos, the issue may lie with TikTok. To establish a TikTok glitch, you can visit other platforms and find out if other people are experiencing the same problem as you. If they are, the only thing you can do is to be patient.
7. You Need to Update TikTok
Frequently updating apps can assist with bug fixes, design enhancements, and functionality that customers have requested. If you have spent a lot of time without updating your app in a long time, it could result in minor glitches like seeing old videos. To remedy the situation, the best thing you can do is update your app. Once you update the app, you should have a refreshed FYP that has suggested videos that you have not yet seen on the app.
How to Stop TikTok Showing Same Videos
If TikTok is showing you old videos, there are several things you can try to do to ensure that you get a refreshed FYP. Some of the things you may do to fix your FYP if it is constantly glitching or refusing to load new videos are as follows:
1. Click Not Interested When You See the Video Pop Up
Letting the TikTok algorithm know that it made mistakes concerning what you want to see is a good step to start seeing new, better videos. To let it know, click on the dots on the right-hand side and a selection menu should show up. Here, you can choose ‘Not Interested’ which will let TikTok know that you want to see different types of videos. The algorithm will usually start to correct itself instantly. Be careful how many you choose ‘Not Interested’ on however because it might stop showing you that type of video altogether.
2. Scroll Past the Video Quickly So TikTok Knows You’re Not Interested
If you don’t interact with the video at all, TikTok will start understanding that you are not interested in this content and are looking for different types of videos. Swiping down quickly before the video starts is a good way to let TikTok know you’re not interested and will not interact with this type of video if it appears. This is the easiest and most effortless solution which will work quickly once you do it a few times.
3. Don’t Switch Accounts and Use the Same Accounts
Go back to your profile through your profile icon and you will see what account you’re using. If it’s not the same account you use frequently, there is a swipe down list menu at your left hand side. Click on this and you will see a list of the accounts you have access to. Here you can select the account you usually use to scroll through your feed.
4. Report the Problem to TikTok
If this issue persists, you can contact TikTok support to solve the issue. They have an online support messaging system and articles available at support.tiktok.com. We also have articles on other issues that may come up related to TikTok available through the site.
6. Refresh the Page
Refreshing the FYP should load new videos onto your feed. Try to refresh a couple of times, and if that doesn’t solve the problem and you continue seeing old videos try the next solution.
7. Restart The App
Starting with restarting the app and seeing whether that resolves the issue is excellent. Occasionally, simply restarting the application is all that is required to get it working again. If restarting the app doesn’t solve the problem, you can move on to the next solution.
8. Sign Out Of The App
Another possible option is to sign out and then sign back in again. This solution appears to be effective for some people and will resolve the difficulties with your For You Page.
9. Fix Your Internet Connection
Because of the nature of the app, a stable internet connection is required to utilize TikTok effectively. You will be unable to use certain TikTok features if your WIFI or mobile data connection is weak. If you’re still having problems, another possible option is to check your internet connection on your phone to confirm that you have a solid connection. You may be seeing old videos because you are connected to the TikTok server. Once you connect to the server, you should see new videos.
10. Update Your App
Apps will have glitches from time to time, and new versions will be released with bug fixes to resolve those glitches. If you see old videos, try to update your app to see if that resolves the problem.
11. Clear your TikTok Cache
Clearing the TikTok cache data can sometimes resolve the transient issues and delays that occur. If you only see old videos on your FYP, clear your TikTok cache. To clear your cache, you should:
- Navigate to the Settings menu on your mobile phone and choose Apps Management.
- TikTok may be found by scrolling down and tapping on it.
- After that, select Clear Data and then select Clear Cache from the drop-down menu.
- Now, start TikTok and log into your account to see your profile.
- In the upper right corner of your screen, click on the three-dot menu to access the options.
- Select Settings & Privacy from the drop-down menu
- To free up space, use the Free up space button.
- Following that, select Clear in front of the Cache option.
- To get the “Clear cache” confirmation message, hit Clear once more. Once you have cleared the cache, restart the app and see new videos on your feed. You should try all of these simple solutions first, but if you still have problems with your app after doing so, TikTok has likely faced a more severe issue. Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can get done to fix this until TikTok’s engineers make the necessary changes to the software.
How to See Videos You Want To See
The reason why you might be seeing so many repeats is that TikTok has no idea what you want to see! Here are some ways to change your feed and provide the algorithm with feedback;
1. Start Liking More Types of Videos
You might want to start diversifying your feed by looking for more different types of creators and content. You can use the discover option to look for different types of creators and check up on recent trends and diversify your feed. On the discover tab, you can see whatever is trending at the moment and what creators are currently being featured.
2. Use the ‘Not Interested’ Option
The not interested option can be your best friend when it comes to optimizing your TikTok experience. Once you click ‘Not Interested’ on a video, it should disappear and the algorithm will start to understand more and more what you would like to see.
- Open your TikTok app.
- Find the video you no longer want to see.
- Click on the arrow at the bottom right.
- Among the options that appear, a ‘Not Interested’ with a cancel sign should appear.
- Click on this, and the algorithm will fix itself to not include videos like this and the video will disappear from your feed. This also usually means the creator of the video themselves will appear less and less on your feed. Don’t be scared to use the ‘Not Interested’ option as you scroll!
3. Follow More Accounts
Start following more accounts with different types of content than you usually look for. Again, the discovery tab is your best friend. TikTok prioritizes videos of people you follow over new videos, so make sure you’re following all your favorite creators that appear on your feed. This will also help support them and ensure you get more videos from them in the future. A lot of people don’t follow the creators, they get videos shared from the most, which doesn’t help the creators or support them.
4. Watch New Videos Until The End
To let TikTok know what you want to see, watch it all the way until the end. This will let TikTok know that you’re interested in seeing and interacting with more of this content and more similar videos will be shown to you.
5. Save and Share Videos
Whenever you like a video and want to see it again, consider saving it to your likes or favorites by clicking on the heart icon and then the arrow icon. This will boost the sort of content you want to see and you will be able to revisit the video whenever you like. You can also share it to others to both show them what you’ve been looking at and boost visibility for the creator and post. This will also let TikTok know what kind of content you’re willing to share and what you like seeing on your feed and timeline. Doing these small actions every time you log into your TikTok and start scrolling will ultimately help and encourage a more positive and enjoyable experience on the app.
Conclusion
Sometimes TikTok might accidentally show you the same video twice, or even purposefully for algorithmic reasons. To encourage new and more exciting types of entertainment on your page, there’s multiple steps you can take to ensure you get a brand new and exciting experience every time you open the app. Exposing yourself to more accounts and types of videos on your timeline will ultimately do you good as you learn new things and see new things. If you’re still having issues with this, try contacting TikTok support at support.tiktok.com or commenting below so we can reach out to you with a comment or article regarding your issue. I hope you found a solution in this article and thank you for reading.
