This is an article for parents, bosses, and for those who want to block the TikTok app on a work hone or a child’s phone.
Blocking the app means that it cannot be downloaded or accessed on a device.
On an Android smartphone or device, this can be done in the Digital Wellbeing settings which are there to finetune a user’s experience with their smartphone and control their access to different social media and other apps.
Blocking TikTok on an Android device can also be done via parental controls, only able to be unlocked with the right password and permissions, or it can be blocked via the network router.
Here’s how to block TikTok via all of the above options…
Blocking TikTok Through Digital Wellbeing
In your Android settings you will find an area dedicated to Digital Wellbeing. In this section of the device, users can set hourly limits on social media apps, assign working hours during which time social and other apps cannot be accessed, and even block apps completely (by setting the user time to 0 minutes).
The benefit of blocking the app through this option is that it can easily be switched on and off if you change your mind or need to adjust the settings.
Blocking TikTok via Parental Controls
If you’re a parent and want to block TikTok and other social media apps – or you’re assigning a work phone which is not suitable for social media access and usage – you will want to know about parental controls.
Again found in settings, this area is accessible through the ‘Family’ menu and enables a parent or managing user to hide apps behind a four-digit code.
It is only with this code that the hidden apps can be accessed – though it is important to note that this will only apply to new apps once the control has been added, so if the device already has TikTok installed then the block is redundant.
Blocking TikTok Through a Router
Did you know that you can also block apps like TikTok via the router that a device connects to?
This is one of the ways that workplaces in particular control and block access to social media apps in the office and can also be used across home routers and domestic WiFi connections.
To do this, log into the administration page of your router and locate the parental controls. You can then create a blacklist of sites and apps that cannot be accessed or downloaded when a device is connected to the router.
This can be easily bypassed by switching to 4G – but it does create a road block which at least impedes on the quick and easy access to TikTok content!
We hope this helps! Regulatory controls on TikTok are designed to keep younger users in particular safe – but if you are worried about younger users and want to prevent them from accessing the app completely, you can do so through their device settings.
