How to Block TikTok on iPhone and Android
By Fred Smith, maker of Drill Sergeant / Updated / 6 min read
The quickest way is a Screen Time limit on iPhone or a Digital Wellbeing app timer on Android, made strict with a passcode someone else sets. TikTok also has its own Daily screen time setting, but you can type a code shown on screen and keep watching. To block TikTok completely, delete the app and block tiktok.com in the browser too.
TikTok is built to be the last app you'd want to put down: the next video starts before you've decided anything. Here are the four ways to block it, from gentlest to strictest, with the steps.
At a glance
| Method | Phones | Easy to skip? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok's Daily screen time | Both | Yes: type the code on screen | Free |
| Screen Time limit | iPhone | Yes, unless a passcode blocks it | Free |
| Digital Wellbeing app timer | Android | Yes, delete the timer (or set a PIN) | Free |
| Drill Sergeant checkpoint | Android; iPhone soon | Costs 10 push-ups or real work | $6.99/month, 7 days free |
1. Use TikTok's own Daily screen time
In the TikTok app: tap Profile, tap the ☰ menu, then Settings and privacy, Time and well-being, Screen time, and turn on Daily screen time. Pick a limit. When you reach it, TikTok lets you close the app or enter a passcode shown on screen to carry on[1]. That makes it a useful reminder, not a block. For 13 to 17 year olds it's on by default at one hour.
2. On iPhone: a Screen Time limit
iOS 26 and earlier: Settings, Screen Time, App Limits, Add Limit. Tap the Social category, choose TikTok, tap Next and set a time[2]. iOS 27: Settings, Screen Time, Time Allowances, then set a daily allowance for Social Media[3].
By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached[2]. To make it stick, set a Screen Time passcode and let someone else choose it.
3. On Android: a Digital Wellbeing app timer
Settings, Digital Wellbeing & parental controls, then the dashboard or App timers. Tap Set timer next to TikTok and pick a daily limit. When it runs out, TikTok closes and its icon dims until midnight. An app limits PIN stops you deleting the timer on a whim[5]. If you use TikTok Lite, give it a timer too.
4. Block TikTok completely
- Delete the TikTok app (and TikTok Lite on Android).
- Block the website. On iPhone: Screen Time, Content & Privacy Restrictions, then limit web content and add tiktok.com to the sites that are never allowed[4]. On Android, use a blocker that covers websites, or your browser's site settings.
- Optional: on iPhone, stop yourself reinstalling it by not allowing app installs in the same Restrictions menu, with a passcode someone else holds.
You do not need TikTok to tell you when the hour is up. You knew an hour ago.
Or make every open cost something
Most people don't want TikTok gone forever. They want to stop losing evenings to it. That's what Drill Sergeant is for: open TikTok and Captain Jack is waiting. Ten push-ups buy ten minutes; an hour of real work, reported, buys ten minutes; or you close it and get back to work. It blocks TikTok and TikTok Lite, along with Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Threads.
Related: how to block Instagram Reels, how to block YouTube Shorts, and how to stop doomscrolling.
Questions people ask
Does TikTok have its own time limit?
Yes. In TikTok, go to Profile, the ☰ menu, Settings and privacy, Time and well-being, Screen time, and turn on Daily screen time. When you reach it, TikTok lets you close the app or type a passcode shown on screen to keep watching, so it's a reminder rather than a block. For 13 to 17 year olds it's on by default at one hour.
How do I block TikTok completely on iPhone?
Delete the app, then block the website too: in Screen Time's Content & Privacy Restrictions, limit web content and add tiktok.com to the never-allowed list. A Screen Time passcode someone else sets stops you from undoing it.
Does blocking the TikTok app also block tiktok.com?
Not on its own. On iOS 27, a Screen Time Time Allowance also covers the website an app declares as its own. Otherwise, and on Android, block tiktok.com separately, or the browser becomes the back door.
Can I block TikTok Lite too?
Yes. On Android, TikTok Lite is a separate app, so add it to your limit or blocker as well. Drill Sergeant blocks TikTok and TikTok Lite.
Sources
- TikTok Support. Screen time (Daily screen time, sleep reminders).
- Apple. Set schedules with Screen Time on iPhone (iOS 26): App Limits.
- Apple. Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances on iPhone (iOS 27).
- Apple. Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases on iPhone (iOS 26).
- Google. Manage how you spend time on your Android phone with Digital Wellbeing.