TikTok Gone Local? How to Turn Off the New Local Feed and GPS Settings

Over 1.5 billion people use TikTok to see content from across the world — whether it's comedy, cooking, fashion, music, beauty, tutorials, cute animals, or anything else that your imagination can come up with. Recently, however, many American TikTok users have found that the content pool has become a lot smaller, offering what the app calls a "local feed" without their consent.

Late last month, TikTok confirmed the app, created in China in 2016, would undergo new ownership in the United States. This week, the U.S. version of the video-sharing app confirmed the new Local Feed initiative, in line with the U.S. government's deal with keeping TikTok active in the country. While Europe has had a feature for some time that allows users to see content created near them, the American version is more in-your-face than many users would like, according to recent complaints on the app.

@jeanniegold0506

Brb I’m gonna try and turn it off

♬ original sound - Jeannie Gold

"The Local Feed makes it easier to live like a local," a statement from TikTok U.S. reads. Whether you're rediscovering your own neighborhood or in a new city for the first time, it's now even easier to get the inside scoop on must-try restaurants, shops, museums, and events from creators on TikTok.

The new feature is the company's way of accessing your GPS data to power the Local Feed, according to Life Hacker's Associate Tech Editor, Michelle Ehrhardt. As many TikTok users have pointed out, they have been subjected to these localized videos, even with their location turned off. However, it's an opt-in feature, and you can still use a version of the local feed without sharing said data if you don't want to — although you will have the annoying task of toggling it off manually.

How To Turn off Tiktok’s Local Feed’s Access To Your GPS Data

TikTok ability access your precise location can be reviewed in your device's Location Services settings — which will slightly differ depending on your device make and model. If TikTok does not appear in the list of apps granted access to your location, TikTok does not have access to your precise location, the new announcement from the company states.

If you do see TikTok in your Location Services settings, toggle the setting to "off" by default. When set to off, TikTok is not allowed collect precise GPS location.

The press statement says that the new feature is "entirely optional" and will only be activated on accounts belonging to users over the age of 18. The app states it will only activate the GPS data settings when the app is in use. "When someone chooses to use a feature that accesses location, their device clearly shows an on-screen indicator, making it transparent when and how location is being used," TikTok U.S. says.