Reasons why TikTok is not loading or is currently unavailable [Updated in 2022]

Watch this short video to get the gist of the piece:

There are breaking developments at the end of this article.

Next, the original version of the story (first printed on July 10, 2021):

ByteDance's TikTok is one of the most widely used video-sharing sites. Despite the service's ups and downs, it remains popular with users all over the world.

TikTok's massive user base necessitates regular upkeep, but the platform is still subject to the occasional bug or malfunction.

The Android TikTok app

Whether they affect everyone or just one person, whether they result from routine maintenance or a catastrophic outage, bugs and other technical difficulties ruin the user experience.

TikTok problems like the app not starting up, receiving a network error, becoming unresponsive, and having trouble playing videos are often resolved by employing standard troubleshooting techniques.

To do so, uninstall the TikTok app from your device, clear its cache and data, and then reinstall it.

There are occasions, however, in which such kludges don't fix the problems. It's possible that users will want to grant TikTok access to their background data and other permissions in such a scenario.

It's not uncommon for TikTok users to experience the aforementioned difficulties, which are typically brought on by factors like an excessive cache, a corrupted update, or device-specific issues.

Since most app updates include bug fixes, updating the TikTok app often helps resolve many problems.

Source

Altering a third-party app, most often Android's System WebView, is a less frequent workaround.

If the aforementioned solutions don't work, updating or reverting Android's System WebView could fix TikTok.

TikTok users may continue to experience issues, and while there are likely to always be many common solutions, there may occasionally be some that are more novel.

However, we will remain vigilant for any issues that could prevent TikTok from functioning properly or at all and will update this story accordingly if and when we learn more.

Past announcements can be viewed by clicking / tapping here.

Previously, on September 17th,

At 12:05 (IST), TikTok's customer support team confirmed that they are aware that some users have been having problems with the app since earlier today.

However, it seems the team has been working on a solution, and users should not experience the same problems anymore.

Earlier today, we were aware of reports of app problems from some users. We've identified the problem and are working to resolve it (Source).

Part Two (18 October):

As of this writing, it's 10:18 IST, and according to recent reports on Twitter and Downdetector, a lot of people are having trouble accessing or using TikTok right now.

Well, that was our attempt at simultaneous video uploading, huh #tiktokdown (Source)?

Apparently, everyone is rushing to check Twitter to see if TikTok is experiencing technical difficulties.

Is tiktok down for everyone or just me? (Source)

As of Update #3 (21 October)

12:59 (IST): Recent Twitter and Downdetector reports indicate that a large number of users are experiencing problems with the TikTok app. Users all over the world may be experiencing difficulties accessing TikTok at this time, according to online reports.

To put it bluntly, tiktok is legit. I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone (Source)

If tiktok goes down, what am I supposed to do? films uploaded to YouTube igtv the hell not! (Original text)

918 times of refreshing, reopening, and restarting Tiktok has confirmed that it is currently unavailable. (Source)

4th Update (02 November)

Apparently some TikTok users are having trouble at around 01:00 (IST) right now, according to reports on Downdetector. However, it does not appear that the outage is widespread.

(Source)

Five-Year Anniversary Edition (November 03)

It's 10:47 AM IST, and TikTok is still giving some users trouble. The most commonly reported issue is that users are receiving the "Network error" message, which suggests that problems may exist with the servers.

I had the network problem, so I deleted tiktok (losing all of my drafts in the process) to fix it, and now it says time out error; has any of yours been fixed? (Source)

When I try to launch the TikTok app, I always get a "Network Error." Please help! There is no way for me to report issues with the app. To whom should I direct my inquiry regarding this matter? (Source)

(Source)

6th Announcement (12 November)

As of this writing, TikTok has stopped responding and is currently unavailable. Here are a few of the reports:

Since tiktok is down, I've resorted to watching reels, and holy sh*t it's just like being on straight tiktok all over again. This is HORRIBLE.
source

Because TikTok is currently unavailable, I'm rushing to check Twitter.
source

Additionally, Downdetector has verified the failure.

As of 8:26 PM (IST), some users are reporting that TikTok is working again, while others are still experiencing connection issues.

Now that TikTok is operational again, I bid you farewell. (Source)

It's back online; I almost felt the need to interact with real people.

The cause of the outage has not been confirmed.

It's time for Update No. 7 (January 12, 2022)

Multiple users have reported that TikTok is currently unavailable as of 3:13 p.m. (IST). The uptick in Downdetector alerts also suggests that there is an issue with the app.

Unfortunately, the support team has not yet acknowledged this issue, but we will update this section as new information becomes available.

Revised on: March 10, 2022 (Update #8)

At 6:55 pm (IST), multiple Twitter users have reported that they are unable to access the TikTok app. Additionally, Downdetector reports corroborate this.

9th Revision (11 March 2022)

We haven't seen any new reports on Twitter or Downdetector about the recent issue with TikTok, so we can assume it's been fixed as of 6:28 pm (IST).

Change #10 (March 18, 2022)

New reports suggest that TikTok is currently unavailable for users everywhere as of 9:05 IST. Some users have tweeted that they have been locked out of the app.

Not only that, but Downdetector also shows that TikTok is down right now. We have not come across any official recognition as of this update.

At this time (4:36 IST), it appears that the TikTok outage that was reported earlier today on Twitter and Downdetector has been resolved.

V.11 (26 March 2022):

It seems that for many users at the moment TikTok is either down or not functioning. Many users have vented their frustrations on social media sites like Twitter and Downdetector.

Seeing as how we haven't seen any new reports on Twitter or Downdetector, we can safely assume that the TikTok outage has been fixed as of 7:01 pm (IST).

Twelve-Month Update (March 28, 2022)

At this time (10:58 IST), it would appear that TikTok is down. A large number of users have taken to Twitter to complain that TikTok is currently unavailable. And the uptick in reports on Downdetector seems to back that up as well.

Update No. 13 (as of March 31, 2022)

As of 10:01 am (IST), we haven't seen any new reports of trouble with TikTok on Twitter or Downdetector, so the issue may be fixed.

Fourteenth Progress Report (April 1, 2022)

Reports on Downdetector indicate that TikTok was recently down or not working for some users at around 9:25 IST. The number of Downdetector reports, however, has decreased, suggesting that normal service has been restored.

Version 15 (22 April 2022)

At approximately 3:56 p.m. (IST), new Twitter reports indicate that Tiktok is once again unavailable to a large number of users. In addition, Downdetector reports corroborate this.

Version 16.2 (April 23, 2022)

At this time (06:43, IST), it appears that the recent TikTok outage has been fixed, as no new user reports have been found on Downdetector.

17th Revision (May 24, 2022)

At this hour (10:59 IST), numerous users have informed us that they are unable to access TikTok. Additionally, Downdetector reports express the same sentiments.

Clarification No. 18 (May 26, 2022)

Reportedly, the recent TikTok outage has been fixed as of 09:30 (IST) on Downdetector.

V.19 (May 27, 2022):

At exactly 13:03 (IST), new Twitter and Downdetector reports suggest that TikTok is once again unavailable for a large number of users.

20th Announcement! (May 30, 2022)

08:45 IST: It seems that many users are having trouble with TikTok today; some have reported that they can't leave comments, and others have said that the videos they try to watch won't load. There have been reports of a TikTok outage on Downdetector as well.

Since we haven't seen any new reports of trouble with TikTok on Downdetector as of 12:58 PM (IST), we can safely assume that the issue has been fixed.

Twenty-first Revision (15 September 2022)

At the present time, 3.00 p.m. (IST), TikTok is not accessible to users anywhere in the world. There is a growing number of reports on Twitter.

Many users have reported that after the app loads and they try to watch a video, it suddenly freezes and then crashes. Some users report that they never get past the loading screen.

Downdetector, a service outage tracker, also reports that TikTok is having problems.

As of 7:32 PM (IST), we haven't seen any new reports on Downdetector regarding the recent TikTok outage, so the issue appears to be fixed. TikTok, on the other hand, has not yet released a statement.

It's now 9:10 pm (IST), and it seems that some users are still having trouble. According to Twitter reports, there are still bugs and crashes in the app.

Is TickTock Currently Unavailable? I've been trying to upload a new witty edit, but the upload keeps failing on me (Source).

If tiktok keeps crashing for you on iOS 16, it's time to put your phone down and go outside (Source).

Thankfully, it doesn't appear that the problem is as widespread as it was at first.

The 22nd Revision (September 16, 2022)

The recent TikTok outage seems to have been resolved for all users as there are no new reports on Downdetector as of 02:18 (IST).

Thirty-third Update (1 November 2022)

At this hour (9:05 PM IST), users are complaining on Twitter that the app is either slow to load or completely unavailable. Even more concerning, some users have reported that the app frequently freezes.

And this is what #tiktokdown is all about (Source)

Apparently, the popular messaging app Tiktok has been taken offline in Lebanon (#tiktok, source).

New Version 24 (08 November 2022)

It has been reported (1, 2) that as of 9:05 pm (IST), many TikTok users are unable to access their direct messages or comments due to server issues.

Since tiktok is currently unavailable, comments cannot be posted at this time.
Source

tiktok, why must you go down yet again?
Source

As of Version 25 (9 November 2022)

At this hour (1:02 IST), multiple users have reported that they are unable to access TikTok.

V.26 (Dec. 6, 2022)

As of 8:24 PM (IST), TikTok is reportedly down for some users (1, 2). This information comes from user reports and the Downdetector service.

At approximately 4:50 pm (IST), Downdetector and other monitoring services have stopped reporting any issues with TikTok's service.

The dedicated TikTok section of our site contains additional examples of these types of stories, so be sure to check it out.

For its first few years online, PiunikaWeb was dedicated solely to "breaking" or "exclusive" news in the field of investigative tech journalism. Forbes, FoxNews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, MacRumors, and many more picked up our stories almost immediately after they were published. Curious to learn more about us? Head here