The main purpose of social media platforms is to bring people together, providing ways to communicate with your beloved ones who live away or get to know new people. There are various ways to communicate either by direct interaction on posts or DM.
TikTok has proven to be one of the most preferred platforms for exploration by many users, and this requires the platform to keep on developing its features and make it more user-friendly. One of these features is direct messages similar to other platforms.
However, you may wonder if TikTok provides the option to direct messaging, why can’t I message people on TikTok? In this article, we will talk more about this. There are reasons and factors that block DM on TikTok.
Reasons That May Block Direct Messaging
TikTok allows direct messaging (DM) similar to other platforms, but you may face a few issues trying to send a direct message. This might be temporary or permanent depending on the reason.
TikTok outlines a few restrictions and conditions for using this feature. These restrictions are there to ensure implementing a proper way for using and communicating in TikTok and it assures privacy.
It does not really differ from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social platform that controls the way content is shared, posted, and communicated.
So, let us answer your question, “Why can’t I DM on TikTok?” in detail now, shall we?
Account Restrictions and Age Requirements
There are mainly two main reasons that affect the use of direct messages on TikTok as below:
- Age: TikTok applies a restriction on age. Therefore, if you are below 16 years old, this feature will not be activated.
However, if your age is 16 or above, and yet DM is blocked, then you may check your profile information as you may have entered the wrong birthdate into the system. If that is not the case, then check the second restriction.
- Account Activities: TikTok has a few terms and conditions on how to use and what content is acceptable similar to other social media platforms. Therefore, in case of any violation, your account will be either temporarily or permanently blocked from direct messages. Depending on the violation type.
if it is temporary, then you need to wait till this block is over, and if it is permanent, you can appeal.
However, the best practice is to always familiarize yourself with the TikTok terms and conditions to avoid any blockage. Also, you can buy TikTok followers to get new people to send messages!
Privacy Settings Affecting Messaging
Apart from the TikTok restrictions we mentioned above, there might be another factor that affects receiving or sending direct messages.
This may be due to the setting on your profile that restricts receiving messages from certain users or it allows receiving messages from only certain users.
Also, this applies to the user’s setting you are trying to send a direct message to. This user may have restricted this feature to a few users only.
Now, if you wish to remove the restriction or edit your settings, it is easy. You can do this in a couple of seconds. So, how to turn on direct messages on TikTok?
In a few simple steps you can edit your settings, just do the following:
- Go to TikTok.
- At the left corner, you will find the “Messages” option. Click on it.
- Tap on the settings icon.
- You can customize your settings here.
After clicking on the direct message, you will have the option to edit this the way you like. You can have it open to all, or specific users or no one. Also, learn how to turn on profile views on TikTok.
Common Technical Challenges
Sometimes, many users may be above 16 years old, have no account blockage applied, and have their direct messages feature on and available to all, yet they can not receive messages or send them.
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In this case, it may be due to technical issues which are common among users. Basically, these technical issues are usually one of the two reasons:
- Technical problems due to poor or loss of the internet connection: In this case, you need to fix the connection problem you have. Then once this is solved, you can send and receive messages normally.
- App technical issues such as app glitches: If that is the case, the problem can be resolved by closing the app and relaunching it, or rebooting the whole device.
Solutions for Direct Message Issues
I know you may say none of the above applies to you, and you are still unable to send or receive direct messages on TikTok. So, you may ask, what is the reason that prevents me from using the direct message feature? Why can’t I DM on TikTok?
In this case, we can only give you hints on how to solve it. You may try to do one of these ways or all of them:
- Check the version of your TikTok App: If you are using an old version, then you need to update the app. This may solve the problem. If you are still unable to send or receive direct messages, then try the next way.
- Clear history, data and cache: Sometimes, having the data and cache may cause similar technical issues. So, go to your settings and try to clear the data and cache. This should solve it, but if not, try the third way.
- TikTok Support: If nothing works with you and you still face issues, then the best way is to reach out to the TikTok support team. They would be able to help in resolving the issue.
Final Thoughts
Direct messaging is an amazing feature that almost all social media platforms, including TikTok, provide. It makes communication with other users way easier and brings us closer to people. Therefore, it is essential to familiarize yourself with it and know how to enable it.
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