TikTok Trends 2026: The Shifts Brands Can’t Afford to Ignore.

January 21, 2026

TikTok has released its annual trend prediction report for marketers, designed to help brands understand where the platform – and its users – are heading next. If you’re trying to grow your presence or plan smarter content for the year ahead, it’s well worth paying attention.

The report, called TikTok Next, looks at how user behaviour is shifting and highlights the trends TikTok believes will drive engagement throughout 2026.

According to TikTok, this year’s trends are rooted in something it calls the “Irreplaceable Instinct” essentially a move towards more curiosity, stronger beliefs and greater care in how people interact with content and brands.

It’s a broad statement, but once you dig into the report, things become much clearer. TikTok breaks this idea down into three key trend areas that it believes will shape how people create, consume and connect on the platform in 2026.

The three TikTok trends to watch in 2026

1. Reali-TEA: Real beats polished

This trend is all about authenticity. TikTok predicts that brands will perform better by showing real experiences rather than overly polished, perfectly curated content.

In simple terms, users are far more interested in honesty than perfection. Behind-the-scenes clips, unfiltered opinions, real people and genuine moments are likely to resonate much more than glossy ads that feel scripted or staged.

For brands, this means loosening the grip on perfection and focusing more on being relatable. If your content feels human, you’re already ahead.

2. Curiosity Detours: Niche is powerful

The second trend highlights the growing importance of niche interests. TikTok users aren’t just following mainstream trends – they’re actively exploring specific communities, topics and subcultures that align with their personal interests.

Brands that tap into these “curiosity detours” have a greater chance of connecting with people in a meaningful way. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, TikTok suggests that focusing on smaller, more relevant audiences can actually drive stronger engagement.

This is good news for brands that know their audience well. You don’t need to chase every trend – you just need to show up in the right conversations.

3. Emotional ROI: Value matters more than ever

The final trend is about value – not just financial, but emotional too. TikTok predicts that users will increasingly want clarity around why a product or service matters and how it fits into their lives.

In other words, brands need to do more than say “buy this”. They need to explain the benefit, the impact and the reason it’s worth someone’s time, money or attention.

Clear messaging, strong storytelling and content that genuinely helps or inspires will play a big role here.

What’s inside the TikTok Next report?

Each of these trends is explored in detail in the report. You can either download it (via email sign-up) or browse it through TikTok’s dedicated trends mini-site.

For each trend, TikTok provides:

A clear overview of what the trend means
Popular and emerging hashtags linked to the trend
Insight into how users are already engaging with it

This context is especially useful if you’re planning content or campaigns for 2026, as it gives you a sense of where TikTok believes attention is moving not just what’s popular right now.

The report also includes real examples of brands that have successfully tapped into these trends, with links to case studies. This makes it easier to visualise how the ideas work in practice, rather than leaving them as abstract concepts.

On top of that, TikTok shares practical notes on how brands can start applying each trend to their own content strategy.

Should you take it as gospel?

It’s important to remember that these are predictions, not guarantees. TikTok isn’t saying this is the only way to succeed, or that every brand must follow these trends exactly.

However, the insights are based on platform data, usage patterns and behavioural analysis – which makes them a helpful guide rather than just guesswork.

If you’re planning your TikTok strategy for 2026, this report can act as a useful roadmap, especially when combined with your own audience insights and performance data.

At the very least, it’s a good prompt to think differently about authenticity, niche communities and the real value your content offers.

You can check out TikTok’s TikTok Next report here. Or if you would like us to explain this more please contact our team.

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