Removing TikTok From Your Phone: It May Not Be Enough

Why would people want to remove the TikTok app from their phone?

Some TikTok users find themselves scrolling their feeds endlessly or even compulsively. Others may be told by friends, family (or co-workers) that they’re spending way too much time on the social media platform. Their personal or professional lives may even be suffering because of a TikTok addiction. Deleting the app may be a crucial step toward resolving those issues.

Of course, there are more benign reasons to uninstall the app from a phone. Children may have regular access to the device and are using it to watch inappropriate TikTok content. Users may be having problems with the app version that’s currently installed and want to delete it before reinstalling the latest version.

In the latter cases, removing TikTok from a phone should be enough to solve the issues. In the first ones we described, though, further action may be required.

Here’s why: when you delete the app that’s on your device, you’re not deleting your TikTok account. You can just log back on by using a laptop, desktop computer, another device, or someone else’s phone. To fully eliminate access to TikTok, you have to remove the app and delete your account.

Let’s learn how to do both.

How to Remove TikTok from Your Phone

Uninstalling the app takes just seconds.

Simply find the TikTok icon on your iPhone or Android device, and press and hold it until a new menu appears. On an iPhone, tap “Remove App” and then confirm your choice; on an Android, choose either “Remove App” or “Uninstall” and confirm.

The app will be removed from your phone, and all draft videos you’ve saved will be deleted. However, your TikTok account is still active and can be accessed from any other device.

How to Delete Your TikTok Account

The previous operation is performed from your phone’s home screen. Deactivating your TikTok account must be done from inside the app.

1. Tap the “Profile” icon at the bottom right of your home screen to reach your TikTok profile page.
2. Click the three horizontal lines at the top right of your profile screen to open a popup menu.
3. Choose “Settings and profile.”
4. Select “Account.”
5. Tap “Deactivate or delete account.”
6. You now have two choices:

• “Deleting” your account cancels the account and removes all of its content permanently. You have 30 days to change your mind before the action is final.
• “Deactivating” your account makes the account invisible, but you can reactivate the account any time you choose.

Deleting a TikTok account is a drastic step to take (unless you’re going to install a new version of the app), but some people find that it’s the only way to stop themselves from wasting all of their time on the platform.