Introducing ‘Watch History’ will solve one of TikTok’s most annoying issues

I did. I finally did it. I bit the bullet and downloaded TikTok. And, within minutes, I was hooked.

There was an issue I bumped into quite quickly though — it’s tough as hell to find something you watched earlier. There have been plenty of times where I scrolled past a video that somehow lodged in my brain, but, when I tried to find it again, I was lost. It was gone.

Thankfully, it appears the solution to this problem may be close at hand:

NEW! TikTok Watch History https://t.co/vxXy9L0VJb

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) March 26, 2022

Shared by social media consultant and ex-TNW’er Matt Navvarra (who was retweeting Hammond Oh), it appears TikTok is working on a feature that will allow users to look through their previously watched videos.

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This will be accessible in the app’s settings and will be available for seven days.

For me, a ‘Watch History’ function can’t come soon enough. Yeah, if you’ve liked a video it’s easy enough to find it (it’s on a tab on your profile page), but if you haven’t? It’s a nightmare.

There have been plenty of times I’ve seen something that I’ve not really wanted to like, but was interesting or came up in conversation later. For example, while TikTok’s algorithm was figuring out my preferences, it began showing me a series of videos where women would hold up swimwear in front of them before a final frame flashed and showed them wearing it.

This wasn’t what I wanted on my feed, so I didn’t like the posts. Yet, this format arose in a chat I was having about TikTok’s recommendation system, and it was impossible to easily find examples.

The videos were lost in the ether. In this case, a ‘Watch History’ function would’ve been ideal.

I do hope TikTok makes it more than just a simple list though. Considering how much damn time I spend on the app (and, in turn, how many videos I consume) it’s vital to include the option to search your viewing history by view time, topics, and tags — otherwise it’ll take hours to find that specific content people just have to see.

Currently, there’s no word on when TikTok will roll out a ‘Watch History’ function, but we’ll update this piece when it’s confirmed.

Story by Callum Booth

Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting (show all) Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC. Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too. Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.