2020 is definitely the year of TikTok.
The kids and teenagers love it. Everybody else says it’s a waste of time. We can’t deny its popularity.
Like it or not, there is a great migration that happens with social media as new platforms capture the zeitgeist of culture. They offer newer and more unique ways to interact.
The mass adoption of new social media platforms flows through continuous cycles. From Myspace in 2005, moving to Facebook in 2008, and then to Instagram (with a brief interlude by Snapchat) in about 2014. The move to a new platform is always reluctant, but eventually, the popularity of the platform coerces us all to join.
In 2020, TikTok is the newest contender for the throne. A mix of music lip-syncing and micro-video content, TikTok is not an easy platform to understand at first.
Of course, if you want to get a look at how various other regions use TikTok, you’ll need to change your location. Let’s take a look at how to change your region in TikTok.
TikTok
To understand TikToks’ region targeting algorithm, you must first understand a few things about the interface. When you first launch the TikTok app, videos automatically begin playing. What’s interesting is how these videos are prioritized in your ‘For You’ feed.
Although TikTok is very hush-hush about the subject, there are a few patterns that indicate how these videos appear in your feed.
- One, of course, is Region, depending on where you live in the world, a brand new TikTok user will start out by seeing content from their home country.
- Another is language, it wouldn’t make sense to post several videos in your ‘For You’ feed if you couldn’t understand the native language of the creator.
- Finally, the app will learn your interests and likes over time. As you engage in the content posted, the app will begin showing you videos that you may find interesting based on past activity.
These short 15-second videos tend to vary in content and effects (you can add slow-mo, duets, and more). If you’re interested in content from another country, TikTok doesn’t give you the option to select which area your videos originate from. There are a few workarounds.
None of these are official but users swear by them. It’s important to keep in mind that social media algorithms change constantly so what might work today, may not work tomorrow.
Change location or region in TikTok
Despite being global, TikTok tends to limit what you see and who sees you by region. That’s fine if your region has lots of users or users you want to watch your video. If there aren’t a lot of talented creators in your feed, changing the region is takes a little more work.
step 1: Change Your Language
As stated above, TikTok isn’t likely to recommend any content of a language that isn’t native to your area. Fortunately, you can add multiple languages within the settings of the app.
- Launch TikTok and select ‘Me’ in the lower right-hand corner.
- Tap on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner.
- Select ‘Content Preferences’ under the Account section.
- Add the native language of the region you’re looking for.
This may not instantly correct your TikTok region, there are a few more things to do before the algorithms recognize your intentions and offer the content you seek.
step 2: Start Engaging
Based on what we’ve seen, TikTok will recommend content based on who you follow and the types of videos you interact with most. It’s time to head over to the app and start following people in the region you’re interested in.
The ‘Search’ option is not available from the TikTok website but it is easily identified in the app version by clicking on the magnifying glass labeled ‘Discover’ in the lower left-hand side of the application. Type the most popular users in the region you’d like to view in the search bar.
Tap the red ‘Follow’ button. Next, tap ‘Followers’, in the screenshot above you’ll see this creator has 43.3 million followers, tap that. Scroll through the list provided and follow accounts there as well.
Next, you can begin engaging in each users’ content. Like, comment and watch videos to show TikTok what you’re interested in.
step 3: get a new Sim Card
Unfortunately simply using a VPN seems not working on TikTok and you have to get a new sim card. It seems to use your SIM region code to decide what you see. One method you can try is to buy a SIM from a different region and use it in your phone.
The reality of doing that is simple enough if you use eBay. Just buy a SIM card from the region you want to appeal to and use it on your phone when you want to use TikTok. It’s a hassle unless you have a dual SIM phone but it is achievable if you really want to go it.
ABOUT ME
Manuel Marinari is an entrepreneur, influencer and social media guru from Milan, Italy based in Taipei, Taiwan.
Sway Society founded in 2017, in Taiwan by Manuel Marinari. The agency drives brands into the world of social media, providing influencer marketing, digital growth and content creation. www.swaysocietytw.com
Sway Squad is the new exclusive high-end social media management by SwaySociety in 2020. A group of talented and certified active influencers helps athletes and public figures all over the world managing, growing and restyling their social profIles.