How to Go Live on TikTok: Requirements and Steps

To go LIVE on TikTok, tap the Add post + button, scroll across to LIVE, add a title and tap Go LIVE. You need to be at least 18 and have 1,000 followers, though TikTok says the follower number may vary by region. If the LIVE option is missing or grayed out, one of those requirements, an age check or Restricted Mode is usually the reason.

Check the TikTok LIVE requirements first

TikTok's help center sets these rules for hosting a LIVE:

Requirement	What TikTok says
Age to go LIVE	18 or older
Followers	1,000 (may vary across regions)
Age to send or receive Gifts	18 or older, 19 in South Korea
Location	LIVE and Gifts aren't available everywhere

TikTok may also ask you to confirm your age before you go LIVE. Depending on where you live, you can do it with ID and selfies, a selfie with ID through TikTok's partner Incode, a credit card authorization (a small temporary charge that is refunded), or facial age estimation from a selfie taken in real time. If TikTok can't confirm your age, you can't go LIVE. If it confirms you're under 18, LIVE stays off for your account.

To see where you stand, open the LIVE tab. If you see Get access to go LIVE, tap it and TikTok lists the access requirements. Any you haven't met show in gray at the top, and you can reapply once you meet them.

Go LIVE from the TikTok app

These are the steps from TikTok's own What is TikTok LIVE? page:

Open TikTok and tap the Add post + button at the bottom.
Tap LIVE at the bottom. You may need to scroll across to find it.
Add a title, use the LIVE tools, or tap Settings to adjust your LIVE settings.
Tap Go LIVE.

While you're live, tap More ... at the bottom, then Settings, to change tools and safety settings without stopping. When you're done, tap End LIVE at the top, then End now.

A title that says what the stream is about helps people who find you in the LIVE feed decide to stay. Before you start, check your internet connection, audio, lighting and camera angle, which is the same checklist TikTok gives creators.

Set up moderation before you start

Comments move fast on a LIVE, so set your rules on the LIVE screen before you tap Go LIVE. Tap Settings and you'll find:

Moderators: add trusted people who can help manage comments and viewers. You choose which settings each moderator can use.
Audience controls: limit the LIVE to viewers who are at least 18.
Comment settings: turn comments on or off, filter spam and potentially unkind comments (both are filtered by default), and add up to 500 blocked keywords or phrases of up to 30 characters each.

During the LIVE, tap any comment in the chat to reply to it, pin it to the top of the chat for a short time, translate it, mute the account, block it or report it. Pinning is useful for questions you want everyone to see, like "Where do I buy this?" so you can answer once. Blocking a viewer also stops them from interacting with you through your posts, profile and messages.

Use the LIVE features that help creators and small businesses

A few of TikTok's LIVE tools are worth knowing even on your first stream:

LIVE Events. Announce a stream ahead of time so followers can register and get a notification. Tap Add post +, then LIVE, LIVE Center, LIVE Events and Create an event. The time shows in each viewer's local time, and people register from the LIVE Event on your profile. A shop launch or a weekly Q&A works well here.
Multi-guest. Bring guests into your LIVE in audio or video mode. During the LIVE, tap Guests at the bottom, then Invite. You can also choose whether to take requests from all viewers or followers only.
LIVE replays. TikTok saves your LIVE for 30 days. Go to Profile, tap the Menu ☰ button, choose TikTok Studio, tap LIVE, then LIVE recordings to download it, delete it, or tap Clip to cut a short moment and post it as a regular video.
LIVE Gifts. Viewers can send Gifts, and you collect Diamonds based on how popular your LIVE is. Your total shows in the LIVE summary at the end.

Clipping replays is the easiest way to get more out of a stream: one strong answer or demo becomes a post that keeps working after the LIVE ends.

Turn on LIVE Gifts if you're eligible

To turn LIVE Gifts on or off, tap Settings on the LIVE screen, switch LIVE Gifts on or off, then tap Go LIVE. TikTok's LIVE Gifts page lists four conditions:

You live in a location where LIVE Gifts is available.
You're 18 or older, or 19 in South Korea.
You're eligible to go LIVE.
Your account is in good standing under the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.

Government, politician and political party accounts, and other public interest accounts, can't collect Diamonds through Gifts. Viewers have an age rule too: you must be 18 (19 in South Korea) to send Gifts.

Go LIVE from a computer with LIVE Studio

LIVE Studio is TikTok's official desktop app for streaming. It runs on Windows and on macOS 12.0 or later, and you download it from tiktok.com/studio/download. TikTok's help pages also name OBS Studio as a way to go LIVE from a computer.

Download and install LIVE Studio.
Log in with your TikTok account and check whether you meet the access requirements.
If you do, click Get access. If not, the requirements you're missing appear in gray at the top.
Set up your camera, microphone or screen capture, add a title, check the preview and go LIVE.

If TikTok gives you a trial of LIVE Studio, go LIVE for at least 25 minutes, twice during your first week. Otherwise your access is revoked. Going LIVE straight from a desktop browser depends on your account and region.

Why you can't go LIVE on TikTok

TikTok's own answer is short: only creators who meet the eligibility requirements can go LIVE. Work through the likely causes in this order:

You're under the follower count. 1,000 is the standard number, and it may differ where you live. The Get access to go LIVE screen shows what you're missing.
Your age isn't confirmed. Finish the age check when TikTok asks. Without it, LIVE stays locked.
Restricted Mode is on. It turns off going LIVE and gifting on LIVE. Go to Profile, tap the Menu ☰ button, then Settings and privacy, Content preferences, Restricted Mode, enter your passcode and turn it off.
LIVE isn't available in your country. TikTok says LIVE and Gifts aren't offered everywhere.
A LIVE was suspended for a violation. Check the violation detail page, your inbox notification or the violation records in LIVE Center to appeal. You can only appeal a violation once, and the result usually arrives within 24 hours.

If none of these fit, report it: TikTok says to report the problem when you meet the requirements and still can't go LIVE.

Send LIVE viewers to your link afterwards

A LIVE ends, but the people who watched it can still find you on your profile. The good news: the 1,000 followers you need for LIVE is the same number TikTok asks of personal accounts before they can add a website link (Verified Business Accounts can add one too). Tap Profile, then Edit profile, and next to Links tap Add. Our guide to adding a link to your TikTok bio walks through each step.

Make that link the place that holds everything you mention on stream: the product, the booking page, the playlist, the sign-up form. Say "the link is in my bio" during the LIVE and pin a comment that says the same. If you sell, a verified TikTok business account can show your business details on your profile, and a sharper bio helps too: see these TikTok bio ideas.

Olaa is built for that one link. You get a short olaa.im/yourname page with unlimited links, music and video players that play on the page (including TikTok), Calendly bookings and Google Forms that open on the page, and a QR code, all on the free plan. Olaa Pro, $8 a month, adds products from Stripe, Etsy, Shopify or Gumroad with checkout in your own shop and no cut, email signups sent to Mailchimp, countdowns that suit a LIVE Event, and scheduled links. See what Olaa does, or the page set up for TikTok creators.

FAQ

How many followers do you need to go live on TikTok?

TikTok says you need 1,000 followers to go LIVE, and that the number may vary across regions. Open the LIVE tab and tap Get access to go LIVE to see the exact requirements for your account.

Can you go live on TikTok at 16 or 17?

No. TikTok requires you to be at least 18 to go LIVE, and it may ask you to confirm your age with ID, a selfie, a credit card authorization or facial age estimation. If it confirms you're under 18, you can't access LIVE.

How old do you have to be to get Gifts on TikTok LIVE?

You must be 18 or older to send or receive Gifts, or 19 in South Korea. Hosts also need to live where LIVE Gifts is available, be eligible to go LIVE and have an account in good standing.

Why is my LIVE button grayed out?

Gray items on the LIVE access screen are requirements you haven't met yet, such as follower count or age confirmation. Meet them and reapply. Also check that Restricted Mode is off, since it blocks going LIVE.

Can I go live on TikTok from my computer?

Yes, with LIVE Studio, TikTok's desktop app for Windows and macOS 12.0 or later, as long as you meet the access requirements. TikTok's help pages also name OBS Studio, and going LIVE from a desktop browser depends on your account and region.