How to Change Location on TikTok and Target US Audience
Want to Target US Audience but TikTok Restricts Your Views?
You've spent hours creating the perfect TikTok video. The editing is flawless, the content is engaging, and you're certain it will resonate with US viewers. But after posting, the harsh reality hits: your video is barely getting any views, and the few it does get are only from your local region.
If you're a business owner or content creator trying to reach the lucrative US market on TikTok, this scenario is all too familiar. You know that accessing American audiences could transform your reach, engagement, and potentially your income—but TikTok's geographic restrictions keep confining your content to your local region.
This is especially frustrating when you know your content would perform well in markets with higher purchasing power like the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada. The good news? There are ways to break through these geographical barriers—but not all methods are created equal.
Why Does TikTok Restrict Views to Your Local Area?
TikTok's algorithm is designed to initially show your content to a small sample of users in your geographic area. This approach serves multiple purposes:
- Relevance: Content is often more relevant to people in the same geographic region due to shared culture, trends, and language.
- Content moderation: Different regions have different content standards and regulations. Keeping content regionally confined helps TikTok manage compliance.
- Algorithm testing: By starting with a local audience, TikTok can gauge initial engagement to determine if content should be pushed to wider audiences.
- User experience: Showing content from creators in the same region can enhance user experience through cultural relevance and relatability.
While this strategy makes sense from TikTok's perspective, it creates significant challenges for creators and businesses looking to reach specific international markets, especially high-value ones like the United States.
How Does TikTok Know Your Location?
TikTok uses several methods to determine your geographic location:
- IP Address: Your IP address reveals your general geographic location to TikTok's servers.
- GPS Data: If you've granted TikTok permission to access your location, it uses precise GPS data from your device.
- SIM Card Information: TikTok can detect your country code through your mobile carrier information.
- Account Settings: The region you selected when creating your account influences content distribution.
- Network Analysis: TikTok analyzes network connection patterns that might reveal VPN or proxy usage.
TikTok's sophisticated location detection systems make it particularly challenging to bypass regional restrictions, as the platform uses multiple data points to verify your actual location.
Why Change Your TikTok Location to Target the US Audience?
There are compelling reasons why creators and businesses aim to reach the US audience on TikTok:
- Higher Monetization Potential: The US market typically offers significantly higher CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) and conversion rates compared to many other regions.
- Larger Audience: With over 170 million users in the United States alone, TikTok offers access to a massive audience.
- Greater Purchasing Power: American consumers have stronger purchasing power, making them more likely to buy products or services promoted through content.
- Brand Partnership Opportunities: US-based brands often look for creators with strong US audience demographics for sponsored content.
- Global Trend Influence: US TikTok trends often spread globally, giving early adopters an advantage.
For many businesses, accessing the US market isn't just about vanity metrics—it's about connecting with audiences that have the interest and means to support their business goals.
Known Methods to Change Location on TikTok and Target US Audience
Creators have attempted various methods to overcome TikTok's geographic restrictions, with varying degrees of success:
1. Using Hashtags and Strategic Posting Times to Reach US Audience
Some creators try to target US audiences by using US-centric hashtags and posting during peak US browsing hours.
Effectiveness:
This method occasionally works if people in your country regularly engage with English-language content. However, if English isn't widely used in your region, TikTok's algorithm is unlikely to push your content to US viewers regardless of hashtags or posting times.
Drawbacks:
Results are inconsistent and largely dependent on your existing audience's engagement patterns rather than actual location targeting.
2. Using a US SIM Card to Change Location on TikTok
In the past, switching to a US SIM card was a popular method for changing your TikTok region.
Effectiveness:
This method is largely outdated. TikTok has updated its systems to rely on multiple location identifiers beyond just your SIM card information.
Drawbacks:
Even with a US SIM card, TikTok can detect your actual location through GPS, IP address, and other signals. This method no longer works.
3. Using a VPN to Target US Audience
Many creators attempt to use VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to mask their IP address and appear as if they're browsing from the United States.
Effectiveness:
Most users report that VPNs are ineffective for changing TikTok location. TikTok has sophisticated VPN detection systems that can identify and flag accounts using these services.
Drawbacks:
Using a VPN can lead to shadowbanning (where your content's visibility is limited without notification).
4. Using Proxies to Change Location on TikTok
Some creators try to use residential or mobile proxies to appear as if they're posting from the US.
Effectiveness:
While technically more sophisticated than standard VPNs, proxies still face detection issues. TikTok analyzes multiple data points to verify location, making even residential proxies unreliable.
Drawbacks:
Similar to VPNs, using proxies risks account penalties, and high-quality residential proxies can be expensive without guaranteeing results.
The Most Reliable Way to Change Location on TikTok and Target US Audience
If you're using TikTok to promote your business or as a content creator who relies on TikTok for income, you need a method that's both reliable and compliant with TikTok's policies.
The Gold Standard: Creating and Posting from the Target Country
The most effective and policy-compliant approach is simple but powerful: create TikTok accounts and post content directly from your target country. This method works because:
- It satisfies all of TikTok's location verification systems
- Your content is distributed to local users from the start
- There's no risk of shadowbans or account penalties
- Your account builds authentic local credibility
If you have trusted family or friends in the United States, you could ask them to help manage your TikTok presence. However, this option isn't available to everyone, and coordination can be challenging.
How Viral² Helps You Target US Audiences Reliably
For creators and businesses without US connections, Viral² offers a turnkey solution. Our service provides:
- Local Account Creation: We create genuine US-based TikTok accounts that naturally target the US audience from day one.
- Native Posting Network: Our network of trusted local posters post your content directly from within the United States, satisfying all of TikTok's location requirements.
- Scalability: Whether you need one account or dozens for a multi-channel strategy, our service scales to your business needs. Many successful businesses leverage multiple TikTok accounts to maximize their reach. Multiple TikTok accounts = more reach. Just ask Tony from LC Signs — the guy's everywhere!
- Content Creation Options: Beyond posting, we can help create engaging educational or entertaining content specifically designed to drive sales and conversions. We can even source User Generated Content (UGC) creators to give your brand an authentic voice.
- Access to Multiple Tier 1 Markets: Beyond the US, we can help you target other high-value markets including the UK, Canada, Australia, France, and more.
Why This Approach Works When Others Fail
Our method works because it doesn't try to trick TikTok's algorithm. Instead, it gives the algorithm exactly what it wants: genuinely local content from verifiably local accounts. This approach:
- Aligns with TikTok's terms of service
- Provides consistent, reliable results
- Eliminates the constant cat-and-mouse game with TikTok's detection systems
- Builds sustainable channel growth without shadowban risks
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Change Your TikTok Region to USA (or any other country)
To change your TikTok region, follow these steps:
- Open TikTok and go to your profile
- Tap the three lines in the top right corner
- Go to "Settings and privacy"
- Tap "Account"
- Select "Account information"
- Look for "Region" and change it if the option is available
Important: You need to access TikTok from the target country for at least 90 days to be able to change your region to it. Also, this option may not be available for all accounts, particularly those created in the US.
How to Change TikTok Region Without Waiting 90 Days
The only reliable way to bypass the 90-day waiting period is to create a new account directly from your target country. This is where services like Viral² can help by creating and managing genuine US-based accounts on your behalf.
How to Target Specific Country Audience on TikTok
The most reliable approach is to have your content posted directly from the target country. This can be done by asking family or friends in that country to help, or by using a service like Viral² that has a network of local posters in your target markets.
TikTok Region Change Not Working
If you've tried methods like using a VPN or changing SIM cards and you're still getting zero views, TikTok may have flagged your account. In this case:
- Try disabling any VPN or proxy and access TikTok normally. Your videos might start getting views again, but likely only from your local audience.
- If your account remains restricted even after reverting to normal access, you may need to create a new account.
- For a fresh start with guaranteed US targeting, consider using a service like Viral² to create and manage a properly established US account.
Conclusion: Stop Fighting TikTok's Algorithm
When it comes to targeting the US audience on TikTok, working with the platform's systems rather than against them is the key to sustainable success.
While quick hacks like VPNs and proxy servers might seem tempting, they ultimately lead to frustration, shadowbans, and wasted effort. The most reliable approach—posting directly from your target country—is also the most aligned with TikTok's policies.
Whether you partner with Viral² or find another way to establish genuine local presence, prioritizing compliance and authenticity will yield better long-term results than continually battling TikTok's increasingly sophisticated location detection systems.
