Restricted Mode On TikTok: It’s Easy To Turn Off

TikTok (like most social media platforms) takes steps to differentiate between mature and general content and prevent younger users from seeing potentially problematic posts.

TikTok users between the ages of 13 and 18 are the ones most affected. Their TikTok accounts are set — by default — to “restricted mode,” meaning they can’t see TikTok posts designated as only appropriate for older audiences.

Users between 13 and 15 are stuck in default mode, while those between 16 and 18 are allowed to manually remove the restrictions. If the former users signed up when they were younger, they can switch out of restricted mode once they turn 16.

Adults who join TikTok start with unrestricted accounts, but some who are offended or annoyed by content that the system believes is “adult-oriented” decide to voluntarily change their accounts to restricted ones. That allows them to avoid the more mature content and themes they’d otherwise see on their feeds.

There are also complaints of accounts unexplainably being changed by the system from unrestricted to restricted. That’s rare, but it does apparently happen from time to time and can be frustrating to adults who find that the TikTok content they see has been “sanitized.”

The app, thankfully, lets you change your account between the two statuses, as long as you’re at least 16 years old. Here’s how to do it.

Turning Restricted Mode On and Off on TikTok

One caution: changing this TikTok setting may not be quite as easy as changing most others. You might need a passcode to switch between the modes, particularly if you’re in the 16-18 age range.

1. Pull up your TikTok profile page by tapping the “Profile” icon at the bottom right of your home screen.
2. Open the profile menu by hitting the “Menu” icon (three horizontal lines at the top right of the profile page).
3. Choose “Settings and privacy” from the popup window.
4. On the next screen, scroll down and tap “Content preferences.”
5. The “Restricted mode” menu item will tell you whether content restrictions are “Off” or “On” for your account. To change the setting, tap the item and then click “Turn on” or “Turn off,” depending on your preference.

If TikTok won’t let you make the change without a passcode, you’ll have to enter the code that you (or more likely, your parents) created when the account was created. If you want to set up restricted mode for a child or someone you supervise, you can create a passcode from the same page where you toggle the setting on or off.

Those who don’t have a previously-created passcode face a longer process. They’ll have to contact TikTok support by going to support.tiktok.com on the web, or by navigating to the “Settings and privacy” section of the app and scrolling down to “Report a problem.”

Restricted mode can be a pain for kids to deal with, and a relief for adults who want to avoid what they see as childish or offensive TikTok posts. However, it’s a smart option for the app to provide in its continuing attempts to protect younger users, and it’s an easy one for everyone except those younger users to enable or disable.