Blocking TikTok On Your Teen’s iPhone: Step By Step

Few people dispute the contention that TikTok can be addictive, particularly for the young generation that “grew up” on social media platforms.

Many experts even argue that the app can be harmful to kids’ brains, which are still developing. The “dopamine rush” provided by fast-moving, colorful TikTok videos is said to potentially damage teens’ attention spans and ability to concentrate; some even argue that prolonged use of TikTok may lead to mental health issues.

That’s why, in addition to prohibitions on younger TikTok users’ ability to see adult content, the app has controls allowing parents to set limits for the amount of time they spend on the platform. The feature is known as “Family Pairing,” and it lets parents link to their teens’ TikTok accounts and customize how much time the kids can access the app on weekdays and weekends.

But what if you don’t want your children to download and access the app at all? TikTok can’t stop that — but if your teen has an iPhone, you can completely prevent them from using the app.

Here’s what to do.

How to Block TikTok on an iPhone

This “set it and forget it” approach works like a charm.

1. First, download the TikTok app to your teen’s iPhone. This may sound strange, but the iPhone can’t block it if the app isn’t installed.
2. Open “Settings” on the phone.
3. Scroll the list of options and tap on “Screen Time.”
4. Follow the instructions to set up the iPhone feature. You may need to set up or use a password without your child watching.
5. Once Screen Time has been activated, scroll down to find and click on “Content and Privacy Restrictions.”
6. Make sure the toggle switch at the top is set to “on” and then tap ”Allowed Apps & Features.”
7. On the next screen, scroll down to find TikTok on the list of apps and toggle the control to “off.”

That makes the TikTok app “invisible” on the phone but doesn’t prevent access via the device’s web browser. There’s another set of steps to take to stop your teen from getting onto the platform online.

1. Go back to the “Content and Privacy Restrictions” screen.
2. Click on the “Store, Web, Siri & Game Center” link.
3. Tap “Web Content,” and then click on “Limit Adult Websites.”
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and enter “tiktok.com” under the Never Allow” header.

That does it. Both the TikTok app and website are now blocked on the iPhone.

It’s more difficult to block TikTok on an Android, so be glad your teen has an iPhone instead!