TikTok Search: How to Find People, Brands, and Products on TikTok

14 min read

TikTok boasts a ton of unique users, some with a very wide reach. Getting anything to trend on TikTok is hard…but when it does, trends gain a lot of traction, really fast! Here’s a little secret for you: that happens when you have strong TikTok influencers. But we’re are not here to talk about TikTok influencers today. We are here to talk about the TikTok search engine.

As a TikTok user (and if you’re not a TikTok user, c’mon, what are you waiting for?), you may have noticed how challenging TikTok search is. That’s because there are many TikTok features that you might not be aware of. While you might find doing a TikTok user search easy, what about the small details on how to search pictures, sounds, effects, and videos.

Consider this article as your guide to the TikTok search engine. We’re going to take a quick look at everything related to the TikTok search engine and how to use it.

Navigation Basics

Before we talk about the details of using the TikTok search engine, you need to know the basics. Therefore, we will shortly discuss the basics navigation of TikTok. Simply open the application and get accustomed to the following.

tiktok navigation

Home

TikTok “Home” shows you two feeds: Following and For You. You can toggle between the two feeds. However, while they both show you video content, they show you different things.

The “Following” feed shows you the videos from people you are following. For example, if you are following Khaby Lame, one of the most influential TikTok influencers now, there is a 99.99% probability of seeing his video content here.

The “For You” feed shows you video contents that are trending on TikTok. It shows you videos that the TikTok algorithm believes you should watch. How does the TikTok algorithm work? This is a pretty closely guarded secret.

Discover

The Discover page functions as the main TikTok search engine. Here, you can search for anything on TikTok. This includes users, sounds, videos, sounds, effects, and hashtags. It also has a feature that allows you to scan another user’s TikCode.

Create Video (+)

This page is for recording and uploading videos on TikTok. Here you can make a video and manipulate it using effects, filters, and sounds to suit your audience.

Inbox

The Inbox page shows your TikTok activities. These include comments, mentions, likes, etc on your publicly shared videos.

It also contains private messages from your friends.

Profile

This page contains your profile which you and others can see. These include your profile photo, bio, public videos, likes, your followers, and who you are following. Other things visible on your profile are your favorite videos and your linked social media.

TikTok Search Engine: Video Search

Now we’ve arrived at the moment you’ve been waiting for: the whole point of this article. Let’s walk you through how to use the TikTok search engine.

Follow the steps below on having a TikTok video search.

Step 1: Open TikTok Application. TikTok’s application has an icon that looks like a black, red, and green music note on your home screen.
Step 2: Tap on Discover. We already talked about Discover in the navigation basics. Look down and check the magnifying glass icon on the bottom of your screen.
Step 3: Tap on the Search Bar. The search bar is the Omnibox on the top of your screen. Tap on it to pop up your keyboard.
Step 4: Type your search. Enter the title of the video you want to search. You will see a list of recommended searches below the Omnibox. Check through to assess the recommended result. However, if the recommended result does not contain the needed result, you can press Enter or Search to assess the full search result.

TikTok video search tips and tricks

The above steps are the general ways of searching for videos on TikTok. However, you won’t believe it; some hidden features make searching for videos very easy. Get to know other TikTok tips and tricks on video search.

#1. Search and find TikTok videos by sound

TikTok is a popular platform used to trend music, you can see many TikTok influencers using a particular sound for their audio content. Are you looking for a video that uses such a particular audio clip? Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Find a Video with that Sound. You must first look for a video that has used that sound. You can simply search for a TikTok influencer that uses this sound in their video.
Step 2: Tap on the Spinning Record. There will be a spinning record at the right of the video that uses the sound. Tap on it. Another way to do it is to tap on the sound link that scrolls under the video. On tapping, TikTok will bring all the videos that used that particular sound. You can also add the sound to your favorite, share it, or record a video from there.

#2. Search and find TikTok videos by effect

The use of effects is a very popular thing in TikTok. Did you notice a video with an effect that you like? Follow the steps below on finding other TikTok videos that use such an effect.

Step 1: Find a Video with that Effect. Search for a video with that effect. You can follow the same steps when looking for a video with sound.
Step 2: Tap on Effect Name. The effect name will appear as a wand under the video creator’s TikTok handle. Simply tap on the effect’s name. On tapping, TikTok will bring all the videos that used that effect. You can also add the effect to your favorite, share it or record a video from there.

#3. Search and find TikTok videos by hashtag

Hashtags are a good way to trend video content on TikTok. Did you come across a particular and you want to watch other videos on it having the same hashtag. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Find a Video with that Hashtag. Watch a video having the same hashtag.
Step 2: Tap on Hashtag. The hashtag is always in the video caption. On tapping the hashtag, the hashtag page containing all videos using the hashtag will appear. You can also add the hashtag to your favorite, share it, or record a video to tag from there.

Alternatively, you can find videos with sounds, effects, and hashtags by using the Discover screen.

TikTok Search Engine: Profile Search

There are two ways to have a TikTok profile search. Follow the steps below on how to go about it.

TikTok profile search from video

Every video on TikTok will have its creator on the left. It is the bubble icon on the topmost part of the arranged left icons. Simply click on the bubble icon, and the video creator user profile will pop out.

TikTok profile search using Discover

Anything on TikTok search can be done using Discover. As we said, Discover is the TikTok search engine.

Navigate to Discover on the TikTok application. Tap on the search bar and enter the name of the TikTok user on the Omnibox. You will see a list of recommended searches below the Omnibox. Check through to see if the TikTok user is in the recommended result. If not, press Enter or Search to assess the full search result.

On seeing the user, click on the icon and you will be able to see their TikTok profile. These include their followers, who they are following, number of likes, videos, and connected social media accounts.

Other TikTok Tips and Tricks

It is never complete without us giving you something to give you something that can help guarantee a better user experience when using TikTok. Below are a few TikTok tips and tricks that can help you.

Tip 1. Finding and saving tour TikCode

A TikCode is a QR code that people can scan to find you. It is similar to other social media QR codes in terms of function. There are two ways to find it.

Use the TikTok profile. Navigate to Profile on the TikTok application. Besides your name, you will find an icon with four squares. Tap on it and your TikCode will appear. You can then go on to save it on your device.
Use the Discover page. Another way to find your TikCode is by using the TikTok Discover page. Navigate to Discover and tap on the Scan icon beside the search Omnibox. Select My TikCode at the bottom of the screen.

Tip 2. Scanning a TikCode

Do you have a TikTok user TikCode and you want to scan it? There are two procedures you can take.

Use the Discover page. Navigate to Discover and tap on the Scan icon beside the search Omnibox. Align the QR scanner on the TikCode, and voila!!!
Use the TikTok profile. Navigate to Profile on the TikTok application. Beside your name on TikTok, you will find an icon with four squares. Tap on it and your TikCode and an option to scan a TikCode will appear. Align the QR scanner on the TikCode, and again voila!!!

Tip 3. Hide or see less of certain TikTok videos

There are many videos on TikTok. So many, in fact, that you may start to get annoyed by having to see many videos on a certain trend. Did you know you can set the application to show you less videos? Simply long-press one of the videos on the trend and tap on “Not interested.” You will not believe how TikTok is being triggered to show you lesser videos.

Tip 4. Duet a TikTok video

This is one of the best features of TikTok. Here, you can record yourself in a split-screen style with another TikTok video. To duet a video, follow the steps below:

Find and watch the TikTok video
Tap on the Share Button
Tap on the Duet icon
Record Your Video and edit it
Tap on “Next” and adjust whether the video will be private or public
Tap on “Post.”

Tip 5. Add a video to favorites

The favorite feature allows you to bookmark videos so you can check them later. Simply find the video, click on the share button, and press the “Save” button. On the Profile screen, press your Bookmark icon and your favorite videos will be there.

Final Thoughts

TikTok might be a little challenging platform to navigate as there are many features associated with the application, especially with the TikTok search engine. For a better user experience, this article introduced how to use the TikTok search engine. It also introduced some tips and tricks on TikTok. You can go through the article and enjoy a better TikTok experience.

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Jul 21, 2021

About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.