TikTok account hacked how to recover: the official route, by what you still have

You are in: password first, then devices

These are the three actions TikTok's “My account has been hacked” article gives, in its order.

1. Change the password: Profile → Menu ☰ → Settings and privacy → Account → Password. Once it is updated, the account is logged out on all other devices.
2. Link your phone number: Account → Account Information → Phone number. Check that the email there is yours too.
3. Remove devices: Settings and privacy → Security & permissions → Manage devices. For a device you do not recognise tap Delete.
4. Turn on 2-step verification in the same Security & permissions section.

Reset the password from the login screen

This works while the phone number or email on the account still reaches you.

1. In the TikTok app tap Sign up, then Log in at the bottom of the page.
2. Select Use phone / email / username, then Email / Username.
3. Tap Forgot password? and choose to reset with Phone number or Email.
4. Choose the new password. Every session on other devices ends, and whoever was in would need the new password to come back.

The limit If you joined TikTok through another social media account, TikTok has no password of yours to reset: its help says the password is reset on that platform.

“Unrecognized device”: a trusted device or a recovery request

The message appears when 2-step verification is on and the reset is tried from a device that has not been used to log in to TikTok before.

1. Option 1. Reset the password from a device you have used for TikTok before — an old phone, a tablet, a browser where you were logged in.
2. Option 2. No such device: open the TikTok app, on the login screen tap Forgot password?, then Recover account.
3. Follow the steps to verify your identity. TikTok says you may be asked for account information such as the registered email, the phone number or previous passwords.
4. TikTok's Support team reviews the request and replies.

The limit TikTok's help gives no review time for this request beyond “get back to you soon”, so this page names none.

No email, no phone: verification by friends

TikTok's help: if you cannot log in or reset the password, you can recover the account by requesting verification from friends you are connected with on TikTok.

1. Open the TikTok app and tap Help, then Recover your account, and find the account.
2. Tap Can't access these?, then Ask friends to verify.
3. At least two friends have to confirm. What they see and what happens after they confirm, the help we read does not describe, so we do not.

The limit At least 2 friends are required, and the number of tries per day is limited; TikTok's help gives no figure. The other method is the Recover account request with an identity check.

Lost authenticator: reset the authentication method

TikTok's help: if you lose access to your third-party authenticator app, you need to reset your authentication method.

1. In the TikTok app tap Can't access the app.
2. Enter the recovery code you received when you set up verification through the authenticator app. If it is correct, you are taken to the settings page.
3. Follow the steps there to reset the authentication method.
4. No recovery code: tap Need more help? and complete the information needed to authenticate your identity.

The limit Without the recovery code this is slow by TikTok's own account: “this process may take up to 30 days”. It is the only deadline TikTok's help names anywhere on these routes.