How TikTok's Algorithm Figures You Out | WSJ?

TikTok’s algorithm is like a super-smart friend who learns what you like by watching you play games.

Imagine you're playing with building blocks, every time you pick red or blue, your friend notices and starts giving you more of those colors to play with. That's how TikTok works: it watches the videos you watch, notices what you like, and then shows you more of the same kind.

At first, TikTok shows you a bunch of different videos, like trying out all kinds of blocks to see which ones you like best. If you tap on a video, laugh at it, or even just watch it all the way through, TikTok knows that one was special. It saves that memory and starts showing you more like it.

If you keep watching videos about dancing, TikTok might show you more dances, kind of like how your friend would give you more red blocks if you always pick those first. The more you use TikTok, the better it gets at guessing what you’ll enjoy next, just like a friend who knows exactly which toys to bring on playdate day.