TikTok collects and stores a remarkable amount of data about every user. Your watch history, search terms, device fingerprint, login locations, and ad interest profile are all logged and retained. Under global privacy laws including GDPR and CCPA, TikTok is required to give you a copy of this data on request. This guide shows you exactly how to get it, what format to use, and what you will find inside.
Quick Answer
Why You Should Download Your TikTok Data
Most people never look at what a platform knows about them. The TikTok data export is worth reviewing for three reasons: it is the only way to see who unfollowed you, it reveals the volume and pattern of your platform use in a way the app itself never shows, and it exposes the advertising categories TikTok has assigned to you - categories that directly determine which ads you see and which content gets amplified to you.
The export is also permanent. Unlike your in-app history, which TikTok can change or remove, a downloaded copy of your data is yours to keep indefinitely.
How to Request Your TikTok Data Export
On Mobile (iOS and Android)
- Open TikTok and tap your Profile icon (bottom right)
- Tap the ≡ menu icon in the top-right corner
- Tap Settings and privacy
- Tap Account
- Tap Download your data
- Tap the format selector and choose JSON. This is the most important step - the TXT format contains only a fraction of the available data and cannot be fully analyzed.
- Tap Select data to download → tap Select all to include every data category
- Tap Request data
TikTok will prepare your export and send an in-app notification when it is ready. This typically takes 1–4 days, though TikTok's official documentation states it may take up to 30 days.
Downloading the File
- Return to Download your data via the same path
- Tap the Download data tab at the top
- Tap Download when your request shows as ready
- Save the ZIP file - the download link expires after 4 days
What the TikTok Export Contains
A complete TikTok JSON export is organized into several folders and files. Here is what you will find inside:
- Activity / Browsing History - every video you have watched with timestamps. Active users routinely find 10,000 to 50,000+ entries.
- Activity / Like List - every video you have liked, with timestamps and video links
- Activity / Comment List - every comment you have posted, including the date and the video it was left on
- Activity / Share History - videos you have shared
- Activity / Favorite Videos - videos you saved to favorites
- Activity / Search History - every search term you have entered in TikTok, with timestamps
- Profile / Follower List - everyone currently following you
- Profile / Following List - everyone you currently follow
- Security / Login History - every login to your account, including device type, network type, and timestamp
- Ads and Data / Off TikTok Activity - actions tracked by the TikTok Pixel on third-party websites and apps
- Ads and Data / Ads Interests - the advertising topic categories TikTok has assigned to your profile
Try it free
Turn your TikTok export into instant insights
Upload your JSON export to see who unfollowed you, your secret fans, screen time estimate, persona, and more. Free and private.
Analyze My TikTok Data →Understanding Your Advertising Categories
The ad interest categories in your export reveal a great deal about how TikTok has modeled you as an advertising target. These categories are inferred from your watch history, search behavior, likes, and engagement patterns.
Most users find between 20 and 60 interest categories in their export, ranging from broad segments like “Technology” to specific ones like “Mobile Gaming - Casual” or “Fitness - Home Workouts.” Reviewing these categories is one of the clearest windows into how TikTok's algorithm has characterized your behavior.
Using Your Data to Track Unfollowers
The most common reason people download their TikTok data export is to identify who has unfollowed them. TikTok does not notify users of unfollows, and there is no in-app way to see this. Your follower and following lists in the export are the only official source.
Comparing the two lists manually is tedious for accounts with hundreds of followers. ScrollDecoded automates this comparison instantly - upload the ZIP and the unfollower list is generated in seconds, along with your “secret fans” (people who follow you that you have not followed back).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does TikTok's data export include?
Your TikTok data export includes your video browsing history, liked videos, comments, shares, favorites, follower and following lists, search history, login history with device information, app settings, and the ad interest categories TikTok uses to target you with advertising.
How long does TikTok retain your data?
TikTok's export includes your full history up to the day you requested it. TikTok's internal retention periods vary by category - activity data is typically retained until you delete your account, at which point deletion is processed within 30 days.
Is TikTok data export JSON or TXT?
TikTok offers both. Always choose JSON - it contains structured, complete data across all categories. The TXT option produces a much smaller, less detailed export that lacks most of the activity history and cannot be fully analyzed by external tools.
Can I delete my TikTok data after exporting?
Yes. After exporting, you can request account deletion from TikTok Privacy Settings → Account → Delete account. TikTok processes deletion within 30 days. Exporting first gives you a permanent local copy before it is removed from their servers.