How TikTok's Local Feeds Work and What Location-Based Discovery Changes for Content Teams

TikTok launched Local Feeds in February 2026 as its first product release under new U.S. ownership, adding a location-based discovery layer that surfaces nearby content through a dedicated tab.

What Local Feeds Are

Local Feeds is a new feed type inside TikTok that shows videos associated with a user's geographic area. It sits alongside the existing For You and Following feeds as a separate tab. The feature was unveiled as TikTok's first release under its new ownership structure, signaling that location-aware distribution is a priority for the platform going forward.

The feed does not replace or modify the For You algorithm. It is an entirely separate surface. Content that appears in Local Feeds is ranked by proximity and local relevance, not by the interest graph that powers For You recommendations.

How Content Gets Surfaced

TikTok uses the device's location data to determine which videos qualify for a user's Local Feed. The exact radius or geographic granularity has not been publicly documented, but the system appears to work at a city or metro level rather than a precise neighborhood scope.

Videos can enter the Local Feed in a few ways. Creators who tag a location in their post become eligible. Videos that reference local landmarks, businesses, or events may also be classified as locally relevant through TikTok's content understanding systems. The precise weighting between explicit location tags and inferred location signals is not public.

This is different from the Explore or Search surfaces, which respond to active user queries. Local Feeds are passive. Content is pushed to users based on where they are, not what they searched for.

The Opt-In Model

Local Feeds are off by default. Users must actively enable the feature to see the tab. This is a deliberate product choice that affects reach projections significantly. Unlike the For You feed, where every user is automatically a potential viewer, Local Feeds only reach users who have chosen to turn them on.

The feature is also age-gated. Only users 18 and older can access Local Feeds. TikTok has not specified whether this restriction is based on the birthdate provided at account creation or on some other verification method, but the product preview details confirm the age floor is in place.

Because both opt-in and age gating apply, the effective audience for Local Feeds is a subset of a subset. Content teams should not expect Local Feed reach to resemble For You distribution volumes, especially in the early rollout period.

What This Means for Content Teams

Location-tagged content now has a second distribution path. A video posted with a city tag can appear in both the For You feed and the Local Feed, though through different ranking systems. For businesses with a physical presence, this creates an additional organic surface without requiring paid promotion.

Still, the opt-in constraint matters. There is no way to estimate how many users in a given area have enabled Local Feeds. TikTok does not currently expose Local Feed impressions as a separate metric in its analytics dashboard. Content teams will not be able to isolate Local Feed performance from general video metrics unless TikTok adds dedicated reporting later.

The practical takeaway is straightforward. If your content is geographically relevant, tag the location. That is the minimum action required to be eligible. But do not restructure your content strategy around Local Feeds until the audience size and engagement patterns become clearer.

FAQ

Is Local Feeds available globally? TikTok has launched Local Feeds in the U.S. first. Availability in other markets has not been confirmed. If you are managing content for audiences outside the U.S., this feature may not apply yet.

Can I see analytics specific to Local Feeds? Not currently. TikTok has not introduced a separate analytics breakout for Local Feed views or engagement. Video-level metrics aggregate all feed sources together.

Does tagging a location guarantee my video appears in Local Feeds? No. A location tag makes a video eligible, but TikTok still applies ranking. Not every tagged video will appear in every nearby user's Local Feed. The ranking criteria beyond proximity have not been disclosed.

What happens if a user travels to a different city? The Local Feed updates based on the device's current location. A user who travels from Chicago to Austin would see Austin-area content in their Local Feed while there. Content teams cannot target users who are "from" a location, only those currently in it.

Can users under 18 access Local Feeds through any workaround? The feature is restricted at the account level. Users whose accounts indicate they are under 18 do not see the Local Feeds tab, regardless of device settings.