Turn off TikTok video downloads

Open the app with the account that published the content. You will change an account setting, so check that you are using the right profile if you manage several brands. The same control covers photos; below you can check what happens to earlier posts and how to allow downloads again.

Turn off downloads in the app

1. Open TikTok and tap Profile on the account that posted the videos.
2. Tap Menu ☰, then open Settings and privacy.
3. Tap Privacy, then Downloads.
4. Turn off Video downloads.
5. Return to Downloads and check that the setting is off.

To allow downloads again, return to the same setting and turn it on. TikTok documents this route in its help on video and photo downloads.

If the setting is off and you cannot change it

TikTok does not let you turn on downloads if your account is private or if you are under 16. If you are 16 or older and want to allow downloads, your account must be public; then you can choose whether the setting is on.

What happens to videos you already posted

When you turn off Video downloads, people can no longer download earlier or future posts through TikTok. If someone saved a video or photo while the setting was on, that file stays on their device. Turning off the setting also does not stop people from sharing your content through a link or direct messages on other platforms. You can still download and share your own content.

This setting does not change who can view a post. To limit its audience, follow how to change the privacy of a TikTok video. Comments use a separate control; see how to filter TikTok comments.