TikTok Launches Global Feature for Content Management

TikTok is expanding Manage Topics, a feature that allows users to customize the frequency of content from the platform’s top 10 categories in their feeds, including sports, travel, humor, creative arts, and dance. Following its rolling out a pilot in the United States last year, TikTok spokesperson Jessica Allen confirmed to The Verge that this feature is now being launched globally.

Understanding the Manage Topics Feature

TikTok states that the settings “won’t eliminate topics entirely, but can influence how often they’re recommended as your interests evolve over time.” Users should note that once adjustments are made, TikTok indicates it “might take some time” for the changes to take effect. The Manage Topics feature specifically impacts the videos shown on the For You feed and does not affect content displayed elsewhere on the platform.

How to Personalize Your Feed

To personalize the topics in your feed, navigate to your settings and select Content preferences > Manage topics. Alternatively, you can access this option by tapping the Share button on a post in your For You feed, then selecting Why this video > Adjust your For You > Manage Topics. From this menu, users can adjust a slider beneath each topic to indicate how frequently they wish to see related videos, followed by hitting Save.

Enhanced Keyword Filters

In conjunction with the wider rollout of the Manage Topics feature, TikTok is also expanding its keyword filters that allow users to block specific topics from appearing in their feeds. The platform is now utilizing AI for “smart” keyword filters, which not only block the exact keyword entered by the user but also restrict content that includes related words in captions, hashtags, or descriptions. TikTok will display the other keywords being blocked and will provide users with the ability to select or deselect words “in the months to come.” Furthermore, the platform plans to support over 200 keywords per user, an increase from the previous limit of 100.

Conclusion

The introduction of the Manage Topics feature and enhanced keyword filters marks a significant step in TikTok’s efforts to provide users with greater control over their content consumption. By allowing users to tailor their feeds according to their interests and preferences, TikTok aims to enhance user experience and engagement on the platform.