The growing pains of making a follower base on TikTok is something you’d never want to start from scratch again if you can help it, right? But, TikTok sometimes has different plans as you might wake up one day with an upsetting account ban.
If you find this scenario resonating a bit too much with your current situation, then it is time to pick yourself up again. We have gathered here for you all the legitimate ways to appeal an account ban on TikTok.
Why and when does your account get banned on TikTok?
There are many reasons for an account to get banned, however, the foundation of it is the violation of one or multiple clauses in the TikTok community guidelines. The graver the nature of the offense, the more severe the penalty.
There are 4 kinds of bans on TikTok and 3 of them are related to the account. They are — shadow bans (which block your videos from other users’ For You page); temporary bans (account suspension for a certain period of time limiting account activity like video uploading), permanent bans (account gets permanently removed), and live stream ban (when you are banned from participating or commenting in a certain live stream).
The first step to getting your TikTok account unbanned is figuring out the cause that triggered such action from TikTok.
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Temporary v/s Permanent TikTok bans: 4 kinds of TikTok bans
The nature of bans on TikTok can be classified into two — temporary and permanent. If your account gets temporarily banned, you will be restricted from posting videos or engaging in certain activities on your account through the course of the period of suspension. The period of suspension is determined on the basis of the nature or severity of the guideline violation and it may take from 24 to 48 hours for it to be lifted.
Be it temporary or permanent, TikTok notifies you of the event. So, if the message informs you that your account is temporarily suspended, then there is still hope for you to recover the account. Shadow bans and temporary bans lift themselves after a certain period of time without any action from your end.
On the other hand, if your account gets banned on a permanent basis, then, hate to break it to you, you just cannot get it back. TikTok only sentences an account to a permanent ban when the user is directly found to have committed some unpardonable offense like multiple and repeated violations of community guidelines, or propagation and participation in criminal, anti-social, illegal, or violent activities or propaganda.
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Reasons for getting banned on TikTok
Shadowbanning can be considered as a soft ban that keeps your video from reaching the target audience’s For You page or showing up under relevant tags. The direct consequence is a stark plummet in the viewer engagement with your content in terms of views, comments, and likes.
If you notice that your videos are receiving a little less attention than they used to, then it is because you have been shadowbanned. The reasons for getting shadowbanned include hashtag stuffing, community guideline violation, any problem with the quality of content you upload, or resorting to illegitimate means to gain followers or viewer traction.
If TikTok catches you using third-party apps or mediums to gain fake followers or bot engagements, consider yourself immediately shadowbanned. Using VPNs is similarly grossly frowned upon by TikTok devs, which leads to the imposition of temporary bans or shadowbans.
Shadowbans may last for a few days or up to 2 weeks depending on the charge levied on you. To fix shadowbans, you can use the Report a problem under account settings to use the Support Tickets feature to contact the TikTok help desk — we shall break down the steps involved shortly, hang on!
If you commit a relatively serious or multiple violations of its community guidelines, TikTok doesn’t hesitate to slap you with a temporary ban on your account whereby you cannot use the account for significant engagement like posting new content. You will also receive a notification in the Inbox informing you that your account has been temporarily suspended.
For a first-time offense, you could get away with 24-48 hour limitations or account suspension to a view-only state for up to 72 hours (during this period, you won’t be able to upload videos, or leave likes or comments.) The punitive measures taken depend upon the gravity of your offense and how frequently you violate community guidelines.
Finally, if you test TikTok’s zero-tolerance policies, then, you can only nurse the wounds of a lost account as TikTok doesn’t waste any time but would directly impose a permanent ban on any account that disregards its caveats to refrain from any of the forbidden activities like promoting or engaging in activities related to terrorism, ammunition or arms, human or drug trafficking, pornography, abusive behavior, harassment, and blackmailing, etc.
Well, if you are under 13 and discovered by TikTok, that is also a reason to get your account permanently banned. Sometimes, TikTok fortifies it with a ban on the device itself to stop you from creating new accounts on that device.
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How to get TikTok account unbanned: 5 ways explained
The only way to get an account ban repealed is by making an appeal with the TikTok Support desk and there are 5 ways to reach out to TikTok to do this. Let’s take a detailed look at each method now.
Method 1: Make an “Appeal” through the banned account
When your account gets a temporary ban, you will get notified in the Inbox about the event.
Step 1: Launch TikTok.
Step 2: Tap the Inbox icon to view the notifications.
Step 3: You will see the system notification informing you about the ban. Tap Appeal to request account recovery.
Method 2: “Report a problem” on TikTok app
A plain and direct way to make an appeal on TikTok to reverse an account ban is through the Support Tickets feature. Here is how it is done.
Launch TikTok.
Tap the profile icon to go to your profile.
Hit the burger button on the top right corner.
Tap Settings and privacy.
Under SUPPORT, tap Report a problem.
Tap the writing board icon on the top-right corner of the screen.
You will land on the “Your feedback” page. Tap the compose icon on the top right corner of the page.
In the text box enter your message. Make sure to compose it with a personal touch explaining your plight and appeal well. If you have media to substantiate a reasonable cause to reinstate your account, tap the picture and video icons to attach them accordingly.
Tap Report to submit the request.
It typically takes anywhere between 1 to 3 days to get a response from the help desk, however, it might take longer (like really long) to get a reply or any form of acknowledgment. So, hang in there! Help should be on the way as long as you have valid reasons to claim back your account.
Related: How to Save TikTok Videos Without Posting
Method 3: Email TikTok official support desks
TikTok has more than one official email account always ready to receive feedback or offer redressal to user complaints. If you don’t get any satisfactory reply following the Support Tickets route mentioned above, you can try emailing the official TikTok feedback reception.
Open your choice email service provider. For demonstration, we shall go with Gmail and tap Compose on the left side panel.
In the To field, enter the address feedback@tiktok.com. Send the content of the email separately to each of the following email IDs as well — legal@tiktok.com, info@tiktok.com, and privacy@tiktok.com.
Enter a short and appropriate subject line. In the composition box, explain your situation with specific details related to when your account got banned, and reasons (if any) to justify why you believe or behest the account to be reinstated. Attach files if necessary.
Hit Send and wait for a reply from TikTok Help.
“feedback”tiktok.com” is reputed to give fast responses or solutions to users. So, you should get an acknowledgment and solution to your problem without much delay.
Related: How to repost on TikTok
Method 4: Submit an appeal form on TikTok
Launch TikTok.
Tap the profile icon to go to your profile.
Hit the burger button on the top right corner.
Tap Settings and privacy.
Under SUPPORT, tap Report a problem.
Tap Account and profile under Topics.
Tap Profile page to expand.
Select Other from the options.
On the Report a problem page, tap Need more help? to proceed.
In the text box enter your message. Make sure to compose it with a personal touch explaining your plight and appeal well. If you have media to substantiate a reasonable cause to reinstate your account, tap the picture and video icons to attach them accordingly.
Tap Report to submit the request.
It takes a few days for the TikTok team to get back to you. So, don’t get disheartened if you do not hear from them immediately.
Related: Does TikTok Notify When You Save Someone’s Video?
Method 5: Make an appeal using the “Share your feedback” form
“Share your feedback” form allows you to intimate TikTok team with issues or problems with user experience or account. It is a direct portal to contact TikTok Help regarding your banned or suspended account.
Go to Share your feedback page.
Enter your email id in the designated text box.
Username is not a mandatory field. Fill it out if you find it necessary.
Tap the dropbox to select Account ban/suspension for the Topic.
In the dropbox under Tell us more, you will find the following options — Livestream, banned account (not age-related), banned account (age-related), and Other. Select one according to your situation.
In the text box, input a detailed and personalized message informing them about the issue at hand and how you hope to get it resolved.
If you have photos or videos to supplement your argument or request, tap Upload to attach related files.
Tap both the checkboxes to agree with the Declaration statements.
Finally, tap Submit to complete the process.
It might take a few days before you get a reply from TikTok help. So. don’t lose hope yet if no action or response immediately follows your submission.
How to compose an appeal for TikTok account unbanning
The first thing to keep in mind while drafting an appeal letter is being detail-oriented. You are accountable for your words and all the information you provide, hence make sure that all your statements are true and accurate.
Accuracy here implies being very specific and detailed. For instance, you can mention the exact date when your account got suspended and how long it has been since the event and appeal why it hasn’t automatically lifted after the typical 14-days penalty period.
Another thing to keep in mind is the way of wording the request. Your words should be formal but not too rigid; keep in mind that you are writing to associated personnel and not a bot. So, mention what your account means to you (not that you should try to guilt-trip or other ploys to attack their emotions because that doesn’t work. No matter what you write, the corresponding action from the TikTok team depends on whether your guideline violation is forgivable.)
The key is to make an irrefutable claim with photographic or videographic evidence to substantiate how your account doesn’t deserve to be suspended or how you have served the penalty time and your account recovery is overdue.
Keep the message crisp and detail-oriented. Do not wax on unnecessarily about your troubles. Be polite and formal.
FAQs
Why did my TikTok account get banned for no reason?
The chances are that you did something that directly violates the TikTok guidelines if your account got suspended. For instance, the content you post may be reported as inappropriate, or you were discovered to be using illegitimate apps to gain bot followers.
The most common reason for unexpected account bans for “no apparent reason” is age restriction. If you are found to be under 13 in age, then that calls for an immediate account suspension according to TikTok protocols.
If none of these apply to you, then you can make an appeal to reverse the account ban with the TikTok support team following the methods covered in the article.
Why is my TikTok account permanently banned?
Well, a permanent ban is a severe and capital punishment meted out only under extreme circumstances. The least serious of the offenses is TikTok community guideline violation. It takes a couple of lenient temporary bans before TikTok sentences your account to a permanent ban.
Another aspect that TikTok doesn’t take lightly is the age of its users. TikTok doesn’t entertain too young of an audience from indulging in its addictive world. So, if you are under 13 and somehow identified as thus, you can wave your account goodbye.
Finally — and these are the most serious offenses, too! — if your posts, comments, and other activities on the app show abusive, violent, terroristic, pornographic, or any kind of illegal nature or behavior, you have touched on TikTok’s “zero-tolerance” feather. Such behavior gets punished with an immediate and permanent account ban without any warning or leniency.
How to get my TikTok account unbanned fast?
It is the wish of everyone going through a similar situation that their account gets unbanned as fast as possible. However, you, like them, have to go through the fair process of trial and review as per TikTok policies before you get the amnesty to recover your account.
To undergo the trial, you need to submit an appeal to TikTok stating the reason to review the account ban with reasons or proof as to why you hope to get the ban lifted. You may either submit an appeal using the various forms on the app or send a mail to the TikTok support team to get assistance.
How to contact TikTok about a banned account?
There are various ways to contact TikTok such as sending an email to feedback@tiktok.com, or submitting an appeal via Share your feedback form, or reposting a problem on TikTok’s app. We have covered all these three methods, and two more, above to help you contact TikTok regarding account ban in the article.
How to get unbanned from posting on TikTok?
Temporary suspension, if imposed on your account, takes away your right to post on TikTok through the course of the period of suspension. As the status suggests, “temporary suspension” really is temporary and should automatically lift itself after a certain period of time.
Typically, it can take upto 14 days for a temporary ban to complete its course and you should be able to recover all features on the app afterward. If you do not get the post functionality back after this period, you can contact TikTok Help via email or Share your feedback form to make a request to reverse the ban.
How long does TikTok account suspension last?
How long an account suspension lasts depends on the charge imposed on you. If you are a first-time offender who violated a pardonable mistake, TikTok might let you off with shadowbanning or limiting account features for a short period of time (usually 24 to 48 hours). Repeated violations warrants more severe warning and stricter punitive measures which could last up to 14 days.
If you truly exhaust TikTok’s tolerance with too many repeated or even first=time “zero tolerance” violations, then, TikTok will levy a permanent ban on your account which cannot be reversed at all.
How long does it take for an appeal to get a response from TikTok?
Ideally, you get a response within 1 to 3 days, however, user experiences as shared confirm that it takes longer than 3 days to get a response from TikTok Help Desk, which in a way is not unreasonable considering the sheer volume of complaints and reports they receive daily. So, it is recommended that you adjust your state of mind and wait patiently for a reply from TikTok after submitting an appeal.
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