How to Search Videos on Tiktok

Written by Jenna Jean Davis | Edited by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: December 7, 2022

Are you new to TikTok and not sure how to search videos? Searching for trending hashtags and songs can also give you ideas on new videos for you to create. This wikiHow article teaches you how to search for videos on TikTok on the mobile app as well as a web browser.

Things You Should Know

You can get to search by tapping the magnifying glass at the top of any video.
You'll also find search at the top of the Discover page.
Use TikTok search to find people, videos, sounds, live streams, or hashtags.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using the Mobile App

1
Open TikTok. This app icon looks like a black, red, and green music note that you'll find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
2
Tap Discover. This icon looks like a compass at the bottom of your screen.

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3
Tap the search bar. It's at the top of your screen.
- If you don't know what to search for, you can browse the popular hashtags and scroll through the "Discover" tab.
4
Type your search. Before you press "Enter" or "Search" on your keyboard, you'll see a list of recommended search results appear in a drop-down below the search box. You can tap one of these to see that search, or you can press "Enter" or "Search" on your phone's keyboard to see all your search results.
- Your search results will be sorted between "Top," "Users," "Videos", "Sounds", and "Hashtags."

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using a Web Browser

1
Go to https://tiktok.com. You can use any web browser to search videos or browse trending content without needing to log in.
2
Click the search bar. It's centered at the top of the page and says "Search accounts and videos" next to a magnifying glass icon.
- If you don't know what you're searching for, you can instead scroll down the page and find trending suggestions under "Discover." Click any of these to see more results.
3
Enter your search. As you type the search query, you'll see some search results populate below. You can either click these results or press Enter/Return on your keyboard.
- Further filter the search by clicking the Top, Accounts, and Videos tabs.^{[1]
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Community Q&A

Question

I followed the steps under Discover to search but I still couldn't see the search box

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

These instructions are using the mobile app for Android or iOS. If you're using a web browser, the steps may be different.
Question

there is no search bar or magnifying glass?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You want to tap the "Discover" tab at the bottom of your screen and you'll see the search bar at the top. When you're watching vids on your FYP or those you're following, you'll also see a magnifying glass on the top right corner of every video. But that's only if you're using the mobile app, as described in this article.
Question

There is no magnifying glass by the discover button to search

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You want to tap the "Discover" tab at the bottom of your screen and you'll see the search bar at the top. When you're watching vids on your FYP or those you're following, you'll also see a magnifying glass on the top right corner of every video. But that's only if you're using the mobile app, as described in this article.