TikTok, the popular video-sharing social networking platform, has millions of users worldwide.
Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has been downloaded over 2 billion times, making it one of the world’s most popular social media apps.
Like other apps, to use TikTok, users need to provide their phone number, and many users wonder why the app requires it.
If you want to know why TikTok asks for phone numbers, continue reading this article.
read more: How do you change the phone number on TikTok without a verification code?
5 Reasons that TikTok asking users’ phone number
This section will explore several reasons why TikTok requires a phone number.
Let’s see these reasons:
1. Verify the user’s identity
First and foremost, it helps to verify a user’s identity.
TikTok can confirm that a user is genuine and not a fake or fraudulent account by requiring a phone number.
This is important for maintaining the platform’s integrity and preventing spam and other malicious activities.
2. Increase the security of the user’s account.
Secondly, a phone number is necessary to benefit from specific features and functions of the app.
For example, if a user wants to enable two-factor authentication, they must provide a phone number to receive a verification code.
Requiring a phone number adds an extra layer of security to the account, which is especially important for users with a large following or who post sensitive content.
3. Account recovery
Additionally, TikTok uses phone numbers for account recovery purposes. If a user forgets their password or loses access to their account, they can use their phone number to reset or recover their account.
This is a common practice among many online platforms and helps users to maintain access to their accounts.
4. Suggest other users
Besides these reasons, when you log in to your TikTok account with your phone number, you can use the sync contact feature to allow TikTok to access your contact list.
This will enable TikTok to see if they have an account on TikTok and bring them to your suggestion list.
This makes it easier for people to connect with friends and family and find the content they might enjoy.
If your friend has a difficult-to-discover username, you can find her with the help of a phone number.
This makes it easier for users to find their contacts quickly and efficiently, as they don’t have to search through a long list of usernames.
5. Improve users’ advertising experience.
By asking for a phone number, TikTok can tailor ads to the user’s preferences and interests and ensure that the ads are relevant to the user.
This can improve the overall user experience, as they will be presented with ads more likely to pique their interest.
For example, if a user indicates they are interested in sports, they will be presented with ads related to sports apparel and equipment.
With the help of this feature, TikTok will be able to display more customized ads according to your off-TikTok activity.
It is definitely recommended to read this article Why Are My TikTok Comments Not Posting?
Is it safe to input a phone number in the TikTok app?
TikTok is not the only social networking platform that requires a phone number. Many other popular media, such as Facebook and Instagram, ask users to provide their phone numbers.
This is because a phone number is a unique identifier that helps authenticate users and prevent fraudulent activities, providing a safe platform for all users.
However, some users may be concerned about privacy and the security of their personal information.
TikTok has faced criticism due to privacy concerns, and some users may be hesitant to provide their phone numbers.
It is important to note that TikTok takes privacy seriously and has implemented various measures to protect users’ personal information.
For example, TikTok does not share users’ phone numbers with third parties, and the app’s privacy policy outlines how user data is collected and used.
In addition, users’ phone numbers will not be visible in their TikTok profiles. If you feel unsafe linking your phone number to TikTok, you can use alternative ways such as email.
How to add, change or delete your phone number on TikTok?
According to the TikTok options, you can change or delete your phone number whenever you want while providing an alternative way to log in to your account.
It is impossible otherwise because you cannot recover your account when you forget your password, or your account security will go down.
To change the phone number associated with your account:
- Open the TikTok app, and click on Profile at the bottom.
- Click on the Menu icon at the top of the screen.
- Hit the Settings and Privacy button.
- Click on Phone number followed by Manage account.
- Select Change phone, then tap Verify your identity with a phone number and enter the verification code sent to your original mobile device.
- Enter your new phone number on the next screen.
- Then tap Send Code and enter the verification code sent to your updated mobile device.
To delete a phone number linked to your account:
- Tap Profile at the bottom of the TikTok app.
- Press the menu button at the top.
- Select Privacy and Settings from the menu.
- Tap Manage Account, then tap Phone Number.
- Select Unlink Phone, then click Continue to unlink.
- Enter the verification code sent to your phone.
How to add an email instead of a phone number on TikTok?
TikTok requires users to provide a phone number or an email address to verify their accounts.
If you have already registered with your phone number and want to add an email address to your account, you can follow these steps:
- Open TikTok and go to your profile page.
- Tap the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen to open the settings menu.
- Tap ” Settings and Privacy ” and then “Manage my account.”
- Tap “Phone Number” and “Change phone number” to remove your phone number from your account.
- Once your phone number is removed, you can add your email address by tapping “Email address”.
- You will receive a verification code in your email.
- Copy and paste Code on your TikTok app.
Please note that you can only have one phone number or email address associated with your TikTok account at a time.
If you want to switch back to using a phone number for verification, you must remove your email address first.
Let’s recap
TikTok is a video-sharing app that gained popularity quickly. With over 1 billion users, users still need to provide their phone number or email when creating an account on TikTok. TikTok requires users to give a phone number for several reasons.
In this article, we covered common reasons TikTok asks you to provide your phone number.
As a result of reading this article, we hope that you can use TikTok without a problem.
You can contact us in the comment section
if you have any further questions in this field.
Do you prefer to link your phone number or email to TikTok? And why?