Quick answer: two different meanings
"How do I verify my TikTok account" almost always means one of two unrelated things. The first is the blue checkmark badge you see next to some usernames — a public marker of notability that TikTok controls and does not hand out on request. The second is confirming an email address or phone number tied to your account, a routine security step that has nothing to do with the badge and that anyone can complete themselves. This guide handles them separately, because conflating the two leads to a lot of wasted effort chasing a badge that most accounts were never going to get.
What does the official verified badge actually require?
TikTok's own Creator Academy documentation on account verification lays out the badge as something TikTok assesses accounts against, not something a user unlocks by taking steps. It describes four qualities TikTok looks for:
- Active — the account has logged in within the past six months and has at least one public post.
- Authentic — the account clearly represents a real, identifiable person, business, or organization.
- Secure — the account has a verified email and phone number, with two-step verification turned on.
- Notable — this is the one that filters out most applicants. TikTok looks for the account to be well-known, generally evidenced by coverage in independent media sources. TikTok's own guidance is explicit that sponsored content, paid promotion, and press releases do not count as independent media coverage.
TikTok is equally explicit about what does not factor in: follower count and like counts are not, by themselves, a qualifying criterion. A large following alone does not get an account verified.
How does the in-app verification request actually work?
TikTok does provide a way to formally request the badge, rather than only awarding it unprompted. In the app, this is under Profile > Settings and privacy > Account > Verification, where you follow the prompts to submit a request, optionally attaching links to independent media coverage as evidence of notability. TikTok also runs a separate legal-facing verification request channel for business and institution accounts (companies, media organizations, sports teams, government bodies, schools, and similar entities).
This is the part worth being precise about: the existence of an application form does not mean approval is likely or routine. TikTok's own documentation frames verification as something granted to a small set of accounts that clearly meet all four criteria above — most people who submit a request, including many genuinely popular creators, are not approved, because "notable" in TikTok's sense generally means real independent press coverage, not TikTok popularity on its own. If a request is turned down, TikTok allows reapplying, but only after roughly 30 days.
Important: TikTok does not charge any fee for verification. Anyone offering to sell you a verified badge, guarantee approval, or "fast-track" your application for payment is not affiliated with TikTok and should be treated as a scam.
How do you tell if an account is already verified?
TikTok's Help Center notes that the only place the real verified badge appears is directly next to the username, shown as a small checkmark. If an account displays a checkmark or "verified"-style graphic somewhere else on the profile — in the bio text, or as part of a profile photo, for instance — that is not TikTok's actual verification system and should not be trusted as proof the account is genuinely verified.
The other "verify": confirming your email or phone number
Separate from the badge entirely, TikTok — like most apps — asks users to verify contact details tied to their account, purely as a security and account-recovery measure. This is available to every user, has no notability bar, and takes a couple of minutes:
- Open Settings and privacy from your profile.
- Tap Account.
- Choose Email or Phone number, and add or update the one you want to confirm.
- Enter the verification code TikTok sends to that email or phone number.
Doing this strengthens your account's security and makes account recovery easier if you're ever locked out — but it does not move you closer to the blue verified badge in any way. The two systems are unrelated, and confusing them is the most common reason people think they're "applying for verification" when they're really just confirming a phone number.
People also ask
Can anyone apply for the TikTok verified badge?
Anyone can submit a request through the app, but TikTok only awards the badge to accounts it assesses as active, authentic, and notable, generally backed by independent media coverage. Most applicants are not approved, and no follower count guarantees it.
Does TikTok charge for the verified badge?
No. TikTok does not charge for verification. Anyone offering to sell you a verified badge is not affiliated with TikTok.
What is the difference between the verified badge and verifying your email or phone number?
The blue badge is a public status TikTok awards to a small number of notable accounts. Verifying your email or phone number is a basic security step every user can do themselves, unrelated to the badge.
How do you verify your email or phone number on TikTok?
Go to Settings and privacy > Account, and confirm your email or phone number by entering the code TikTok sends you. This secures your account and is unrelated to the verified badge.