How TikTok and YouTube decide what you see next
Watch time: what TikTok learns from one quick swipe
You scroll TikTok on the bus. You never tap the heart, and you never type a word. Still, tomorrow the app will know you better.
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1
First comes a football video. Your thumb sends it away before a second has passed.
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2
The next one stops you. Miva, a potter, shapes a clay bowl on her wheel. You watch it to the end, it starts again, and you watch it all a second time. You never tap the heart.
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3
You typed nothing, yet your phone told the app's servers everything: how long you stayed on each video, and what you did there. Each small fact like these is a signal.
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4
One of the loudest signals is the time you stay, called watch time. TikTok says a long video watched from start to end is a strong sign of interest. The quick swipe counts too: a sign the other way.
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5
The next morning, the first video of your feed is another potter at her wheel. You never searched for pottery and never followed Miva. One swipe and one video watched twice were enough.
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Go further
The other signals, and how many there are.