If you’ve ever browsed TikTok, you’ve likely seen accounts with a little blue checkmark next to their username. A checkmark like this indicates that the account has been verified as authentic by TikTok staff. So, how do you get your TikTok account verified as well?
To apply for verification on TikTok, open the app, tap your profile at the bottom, and select “Menu.” Next, navigate to Settings and Privacy > Manage account > Verification. After that, you’ll need to select whether you want business or personal verification. Follow the prompts that appear.
Getting verified on TikTok has a series of important benefits for any TikTok creator, including providing a clear indication of authenticity and priority in the TikTok algorithm. Let’s go through how to get verified on TikTok in more detail to help you get that coveted blue checkmark next to your name.
What Does It Mean to Be Verified on TikTok?
Verification on TikTok generally means the same thing as it does on Twitter and other popular social media platforms. It basically means that the user has been confirmed by TikTok staff to be who they say they are. A verified user gets a little blue checkmark next to their name on the TikTok app.
This verification checkmark is especially useful for public figures and brands. It lets users know that the account is the official account for that particular brand or public figure. This helps users quickly identify any scams, copycat accounts, and deceptive practices.
For example, if you were to wake up one day with a direct message from “Tom Hanks” asking you for your bank account information, all it would take for you to know that this is a scam — and not the real Tom Hanks — is the fact that the account has no verification checkmark next to its name.
This is why verification is mainly for accounts run by brands and public figures. These are the accounts that are commonly impersonated for scams and deceptive practices, and it helps users to identify copycat accounts at a glance.
Can You Request Verification on TikTok?
In order to get verified on TikTok, you’ll need to fill out an application and request verification from TikTok staff. This is the only way to get verified, and it’s not guaranteed that you will be verified even if you have proof you are who you say you are. TikTok tries to limit verified status to influential accounts in order to make the checkmark seem like a premium status.
Back when the verification feature first launched, there wasn’t even an application process. TikTok used to just verify accounts manually by getting in contact with official accounts. However, due to the large number of accounts that want to be verified, there’s now an application process.
To request verification, open the TikTok app and log into the account you want verified. Then, tap your profile in the lower right-hand corner and select “Menu” in the top right.
Next, select “Settings and Privacy” and then “Manage account.” Finally, select “Verification” and you’ll be asked what kind of verification you would like to request: either “Business Verification” or “Personal and Institutional Verifications.”
Selecting between these is simple: If your account represents a business, then you should select “Business Verification” and if your account represents yourself, then you should select “Personal and Institutional Verifications.” After this, just follow the steps that appear on screen and you should be able to submit your verification request.
After you’ve submitted your request, all you can do is wait for TikTok to respond to your request. Unfortunately, there is no set amount of time this will take. Some users have reported getting a response to their request in a couple of days, and other users have reported getting a response 30 days later.
How Many Followers Do You Need to Become Verified on TikTok?
Unfortunately, there’s no clear answer to this question. TikTok hasn’t put out a statement detailing the exact number of followers you have to have in order to become verified on the platform. TikTok has only said that the account must be “notable” in order to get verified.
We have no official definition for what exactly “notable” means, but we can take a guess. Usually, accounts get verified on TikTok at around 1 million likes and 500,000 followers total for their account.
However, those numbers are averages and not at all constant. There are accounts that have less likes and/or followers that have been verified, and there are accounts with more that haven’t been verified.
All you can do is get your TikTok account to a point where it’s relatively popular and then hope that TikTok will accept your verification requests.
For tips on increasing your TikTok profile engagement, read our guide here.
What Are the Benefits of Being Verified?
So far, we’ve covered the fact that being verified puts a blue checkmark next to your name, but is that it? Are there any other benefits to being verified?
First off, one of the most important benefits to being verified is having proof that your account is authentic. TikTok has a problem with copycat accounts that attempt to pretend like they’re someone else. If you have the blue checkmark next to your name, you have definitive proof that you are who you say you are.
Second, and most importantly for some people, being verified on TikTok gets you more exposure to other users via TikTok’s algorithm.
There has been no official confirmation from TikTok on this, but it does seem like the TikTok algorithm favors verified accounts over unverified ones. This means that verified accounts are more likely to show up on your For You page than unverified ones.
Finally, being verified on TikTok gives off a feeling to other users that you’re trustworthy. For example, there are many unverified users on TikTok that run fake giveaways to get them more likes and followers. However, if you have a verified account, then people know that they can trust you as you likely don’t need the money from scamming people on TikTok.
What’s the Difference Between a Popular Creator and Verification?
On certain TikTok accounts, you’ll may see a badge that grants them the title of “popular creator.” So, what’s the difference between popular creator and being verified?
The main different is that verified accounts are usually public figures who are known outside of the TikTok world, whereas popular creators are typically only known for their TikTok accounts.
For example, to use our example of a verified TikTok account from earlier, Tom Hanks is well known for his extensive acting career. He is extremely popular outside of TikTok. The same goes for brands on TikTok such as Pepsi or Sony.
Popular creators, meanwhile, are usually people that found their popularity on TikTok. They are typically popular for the content that they create on the platform rather than for the name that they carry. Verifying these users isn’t as important as verifying people that have popularity outside of TikTok.
It’s also much easier to get the popular creator badge than it is to get the verification checkmark. As we mentioned before, you generally need around 500,000 followers on TikTok in order to get verified. However, there have been accounts with the popular creator badge with less than 4,000 followers.
This is due to the fact that getting the popular creator badge may be tied more to views rather than followers. If you can get a lot of views on your TikToks even without followers, you can still gain the right to call yourself an official popular creator.
Tips for Getting Verified on TikTok
So far, we’ve covered what becoming verified means, what the benefits of it are, and how to apply for verification. But how can you make sure that TikTok will accept your verification request? Let’s quickly go through some tips on how to get verified on TikTok:
Become Popular on Other Platforms
As we mentioned earlier, the people who are most likely to get verified on TikTok are those whose fame extends outside of the platform. It will significantly increase your likelihood of getting verified if you have a popular account on another social media platform.
For example, you could try making a popular YouTube account. Many popular YouTube creators have created TikTok accounts and many of those TikTok accounts have been granted verification.
You could also try becoming a prominent figure in whatever field you desire. A lot of verified accounts on TikTok are those of prominent politicians and famous actors.
Essentially, you need to prove to TikTok that you’re someone important. If you can prove that you need verification for people that are already familiar with you to find you, then you’ll likely be granted it.
Be Featured in the Media
If you want to solely focus on TikTok and don’t want to become famous on another platform, this is another great method to try. If you can make a TikTok that gets featured on another platform such as the news, a magazine, or even on a popular YouTube channel, then you can argue that you’re a famous creator and therefore deserving of verification.
Keep Producing Content
This is perhaps the most important tip, not only for getting verified, but also to get popular on TikTok in the first place. Regularly producing quality content will make you a figure that people will want to follow. Tracking your analytics is also a great tool to see what’s working and what’s not. These tips will eventually result in more people following you, which will in turn make your TikTok account look like one that should be verified to TikTok staff.