If you have had experience using the search page on TikTok and found out there is a small part of it which says “People You May Know” on it, then I can safely assume that you may be among those people who get slightly confused by the purpose of it. There are some users who find it helpful and then there are others who get a little uncomfortable when their old friend appears out suddenly.
So What Is This Feature, Really?
“People You May Know” is basically TikTok’s way of guessing which accounts you might already know in real life, based on a bunch of small clues it picks up from your phone and your activity on the app. It’s not reading your mind, and it’s not random either. There’s an actual logic behind who shows up on that list.
How TikTok Figures Out Who You “May Know”
There are a few main things TikTok looks at when building this list for you.
1. Contacts on your phone
In case you have allowed TikTok access to your contacts while signing up for the platform or using the Find Friends feature, the app compares your contacts to users on their database. Once there is a match, the particular user appears under the section “People You May Know”. This is by far the most common way why people wonder “How did TikTok know that I know this person?” TikTok explains this exact process in its own privacy documentation on contact syncing, where it confirms the feature is optional and can be turned off anytime.
2. Mutual followers
There might be an instance where you have been following lots of accounts but none of those people you know. Well, TikTok would recognize the similarity in your interests and conclude that such people must be from the same circle. Hence, the account is recommended to you. This is similar to how a mutual friend introduces people to one another at parties unconsciously.
3. Common Likes and Interactions
Another way that TikTok uses to determine possible matches for recommendations is through your video engagements and comments. If you and another user keep engaging with the same content and creators, this is used as a signal.
4. Location and Network Signals
Most people find this quite surprising. In case two devices are in the same place or have shared a similar WiFi connection, it can be used as a signal for recommendation. This is why people find themselves saying something like “How did TikTok know that I was at that event with this person I don’t even follow?”
Why Does TikTok Even Do This?
From TikTok’s side, the idea is to make the app feel a little less like a feed of total strangers and a bit more personal, by connecting you with people from your actual life alongside content it thinks you’ll enjoy. That’s also why the app pushes contact syncing so much when you first sign up.
But let’s be honest, a lot of users don’t love this. Seeing someone unexpected pop up in your suggestions, especially someone you’d rather not think about, is a pretty common complaint. If that’s happened to you, you’re definitely not the only one who’s had a mini panic moment scrolling through that list.
If privacy features like this one generally make you uneasy, ConnectSafely’s parent guide to TikTok goes deeper into how to manage these kinds of settings.
Can You Turn It Off?
Yes, and it’s not complicated. Go into your TikTok Privacy settings and look for the option related to suggesting your account to others, along with the contact syncing toggle. Turning these off stops TikTok from using your phone contacts to match you with people, though keep in mind mutual followers and shared activity can still influence suggestions since those aren’t tied to your contact list.
If you want the exact step-by-step for every toggle involved, TokBoostly’s guide on this feature breaks it down in more detail.
Where Your Own Follower Count Comes Into This
Here’s a part people don’t really talk about. Accounts that already have a decent, active follower base tend to show up more naturally across these kinds of suggestion features, simply because TikTok has more overlapping data to work with, more mutual follows, more shared engagement, more signals in general. A brand new account with barely any followers just doesn’t give the algorithm much to connect the dots with.
And this is exactly the reason why many creators invest time and energy into developing their follower count, as this not only helps them receive likes and views, but also influences the number of recommendations their profiles receive on the platform. And if one wants to develop his/her TikTok profile and ensure that it starts appearing more reputable to the potential users, then services like TokBoostly specialize in helping the creators develop this reputation. Their TikTok growth service is designed to give new accounts that initial boost, so that the profile becomes more reputable and naturally visible to the potential users, rather than being unnoticed because of its zero activity.
Of course, none of this can replace regular content development, but for a beginner this would help to attract more attention of the audience to the profile.
Conclusion
Ultimately, “People You May Know” is just another attempt by TikTok to find links between your real and digital social circles based on connections, mutual followings, and behavior. Yes, it may be a bit intrusive at times, but ultimately, you have the right to turn it off anytime you want. Also, if you are actively building your own account on TikTok, it should be mentioned that a bigger and more popular account is more likely to pop up on such services as well, which is exactly what tools like TokBoostly are designed for.