TikTok has released the TikTok Next 2026 Trend Forecast.  

Trend Signal One

Trend Signal 1: Reali-TEA

Reali-TEA - Fantasy is fading. In 2026, audiences will realign through the chaos to forge new realities together. TikTok audiences have moved on from romanticising life to embracing #TheGreatLockIn.

Whatʼs Done

• #delulu
• #romanticizing
• #digitalescapism

Whatʼs Next

• #lockedin 648k posts - from study to fitness goals, audiences are declaring a “lock inˮ mindset, building tribes of affirmation and accountability.
• #hygiene 692k posts - there has been a steady incline in creators sharing how they look and feel good by turning their everyday shower into a luxury maintenance ritual. 
• #joblife 235k posts - the fresh iteration of #worklife (5.2M posts) with more users returning to office or taking on non-traditional career paths, creators are sharing a day in their work lives to share new perspectives. 

Insight Learned

• Audiences are turning the mundane into shared moments of humour, celebration, and relatability.

What does this mean for brands?

• Marketer Takeaway - What part of your creative campaign can flex to meet the cultural “teaˮ? Use TikTok tools to stay plugged into evolving language and aesthetics as you get closer to launch.

Trend Signal 2: Curiosity Detours

Curiosity Detours - In 2026, curiosity becomes the new currency as audiences dive deeper into new journeys of discovery. Audiences now arrive with intention and leave with curiosity, finding trusted, unexpected answers that spark new rabbit holes.

Whatʼs Done

• #autopilot
• #npcmode

Whatʼs Next

• #whattowear
• #mymakeuptype
• #cookinghacks 
• 2 in 3 searchers on TikTok say a central reason for using it as a search platform is that they discover useful things beyond what they were searching for. 
• Billions of searches happen on TikTok every day - up more than 40% from last year.
• 1 in 4 TikTok users start searching within 30 seconds of opening the app.

What does this mean for brands?

• Marketer Takeaway - This isn't about broadening your appeal, but about showing up meaningfully outside your core category. Use TikTok to identify surprising adjacent spaces, niche communities, or cultural moments that naturally align with your brand identity.

Trend Signal 3: Emotional ROI

Emotional ROI - Impulse will lose to intention in 2026 as shoppers reward the brands that justify why to buy, first. Consumers may be cutting back on “non-essentials,ˮ but they're also expanding what counts as essential, and emotions are driving that line. Purchase decisions are increasingly prevalidated, with audiences weighing emotional ROI just as much as financial cost.

Whatʼs Done

• #viralbuy
• #influencers

Whatʼs Next

• #tastemakers - a person who decides or influences what is or will become trendy 

What does this mean for brands?

• Marketer Takeaway - Don't let the pressure to sell show. Shoppers are redefining what's essential not by price, but by meaning, joy, and belonging. Justifying the why to buy means anchoring your product in their identity, community, and the moments that bring them joy

For the full report, visit tiktok.com.