TikTok has rolled out a new suite of features aimed at giving users greater control over the content they encounter on the platform, enhancing personalization, and supporting the discovery of fresh creators and interests. The updates are part of the company’s ongoing efforts to make the app more responsive to individual user preferences while maintaining a safe and enriching digital environment.
At the core of these changes is an improved For You feed experience, TikTok’s signature feature that curates personalized content. The newly introduced tools include Manage Topics, a Smart Keyword Filter, and a comprehensive educational guide on how the For You feed works.
“The For You feed is what makes TikTok a place like no other to discover your favourite new interests or grow a thriving community. With our new features, you can manage topics you want to see in your For You feed and limit keywords and hashtags you’d rather skip,” said Adam Presser, TikTok’s Head of Operations & Trust & Safety.
Manage Topics: Tailoring Interests with a Tap
The Manage Topics feature allows users to adjust how often they see content from over ten popular categories, such as Creative Arts, Travel, Nature, and Sports. Rather than blocking topics entirely, the tool helps users influence the frequency of recommendations as their preferences evolve, making content discovery more relevant and enjoyable.
Smart Keyword Filtering: Expanded and Smarter
TikTok’s new Smart Keyword Filter takes content curation a step further by recognizing synonyms and related terms. It enables users to filter a broader range of content more effectively. Additionally, the number of keywords users can manage has doubled to 200, allowing for easier bulk edits and more nuanced filtering, a tool that has already been used more than 190 million times by TikTok’s global audience.
Empowering Through Education
To help users understand how content is recommended, TikTok is launching a detailed educational guide. The resource will offer insights into why certain videos appear on the For You feed and include popular educational videos, which have already garnered over 180 million views globally.
These updates are available to both teen and adult accounts and build on existing safety and personalisation measures, including content eligibility standards, Restricted Mode, and tools that help users refresh their feed or mark videos as “not interested.”
Stories like BoxToBox Regista, which keeps sports fans updated with football highlights, and Juneclairedontre, a trusted voice in movie reviews, illustrate how the For You feed enables creators to find their niche and grow loyal communities.
With these enhancements, TikTok continues to position itself as a platform where users can explore passions, discover new content, and connect with like-minded communities, all while maintaining a tailored and safe user experience.
Written By Rodney Mbua
