How to Block TikTok on Android and iPhone (App and Website)

You open TikTok to watch the one video a friend sent you. Forty minutes later you're still there. Maybe you've deleted the app before and it was back on your phone within a week.

That's not a character flaw. TikTok is built to be easy to return to, and most ways of blocking it are just as easy to undo. This guide covers every option, from quick settings to a block that actually holds.

The short answer: on Android, open Settings > Digital Wellbeing, pick TikTok and set an app timer. On a Pixel you can set it to 0 minutes, which keeps TikTok paused all day, and add a 0-minute site timer for tiktok.com in Chrome so the website doesn't become your backup. On iPhone, use Screen Time. If you keep removing the limits yourself, you need a block that can't be switched off from the phone, like StoicOS on Android.

Menu names change between Android versions and phone brands. If you can't find a setting below, type its name (for example "app timer" or "Private DNS") into the search box at the top of Settings.

1. Use TikTok's own daily limit

TikTok has a built-in screen time limit. It's the easiest place to start, and it's also the weakest. According to TikTok's help page, it works like this:

1. Open TikTok and tap Profile at the bottom.
2. Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top, then Settings and privacy.
3. Tap Time and well-being.
4. Tap Screen time, then turn on Daily screen time.
5. Pick a limit from the options.

When you hit the limit, TikTok notifies you. You can close the app or enter a passcode and keep watching. In the same Screen time menu you can turn on Sleep hours, which mutes TikTok's notifications at night and reminds you to take a break.

If you're between 13 and 17, the daily limit is already on and set to one hour. Parents can manage it through TikTok's Family Pairing.

Treat this as a reminder, not a block. TikTok makes money when you watch, and its own limit is designed so you can get past it in a few seconds.

2. Set an app timer

An app timer is your phone's own limit, so TikTok can't wave it away. On Android, when the timer runs out, TikTok closes, its icon turns gray and an App paused message appears if you tap it. It starts again the next day. On a Pixel you can set the timer to 0 minutes, which keeps TikTok paused all day. The catch: the App paused message has a Settings button that takes you straight to the timer.

Google Pixel (stock Android 16)

1. Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing.
2. Tap View app activity details.
3. Find TikTok and tap the timer (hourglass) next to it.
4. Choose a time and tap OK.

Pixel also has Focus mode in the same menu. It pauses the apps you choose on a schedule, for example TikTok during work hours. You can take a break from it in one tap, so it's a gentle tool.

Samsung Galaxy

1. Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing and parental controls.
2. Tap App timers, then Apps and app categories.
3. Select TikTok.
4. Tap Add schedule, choose the days and the time limit, then tap Save.

Other Android phones

OnePlus, Xiaomi and most other brands have the same feature under a different name. Search Settings for "app timer", "screen time" or "Digital Wellbeing".

iPhone

On iOS 27, go to Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances and set a daily allowance for the Social Media category. Apple says the allowance also applies to an app's own website. On iOS 26 and earlier, use Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, pick TikTok and set a time. To block the website on iOS 26, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web & Games > Web Content, choose Limit Adult Websites and add tiktok.com under Never Allow.

If you set these limits for yourself, you can extend or ignore them when you hit them. They work best when someone else holds the Screen Time passcode.

3. Delete TikTok

"Deleting TikTok" can mean two things: removing the app from your phone, or closing your account. Most people only need the first.

Delete the TikTok app

Deleting the app is free and removes the feed from your home screen.

1. Press and hold the TikTok icon.
2. Tap Uninstall (on some phones: App info > Uninstall).
3. Confirm.

Log out first if you want an extra step between you and the feed next time. Uninstalling works best together with a browser block, because tiktok.com still works in Chrome.

Deactivate or delete your TikTok account

If you want to get off TikTok completely, you can close the account itself. In the app, go to Profile > Menu ☰ > Settings and privacy > Account > Deactivate or delete account.

• Deactivate hides your profile until you log back in. It's the "take a break" option.
• Delete removes the account. TikTok gives you a short window, usually 30 days, to change your mind by logging back in. After that it's gone.

Download your data first under Settings and privacy > Account > Download your data if you want to keep your videos. And keep in mind that deleting the account doesn't stop you from watching: tiktok.com works without an account, and a new account takes a minute. The habit lives in the feed, not the login.

4. Block tiktok.com in your browser

Once the app is gone or on a timer, most people end up on tiktok.com in the browser. Chrome on Android has no built-in setting to block a website, so you need one of these.

Option A: a Chrome site timer (Pixel)

On a Pixel, Digital Wellbeing can put a timer on single websites in Chrome:

1. Open tiktok.com in Chrome once, so it appears in your usage.
2. Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing and tap View app activity details.
3. Find Chrome. The websites you've visited are listed under it (if they aren't, tap Chrome and choose Show sites).
4. Tap the hourglass next to tiktok.com, set it to 0 minutes and tap OK.

When you open tiktok.com, Chrome now shows Site paused instead of the feed. This only covers Chrome: Firefox or Samsung Internet will still open TikTok. Samsung's Digital Wellbeing has no site timers, so on a Samsung use option B.

Option B: Private DNS with a filtering service

Private DNS sends your phone's web lookups through a service you choose. A filtering service like NextDNS gives you your own block settings and a personal hostname to enter on the phone. Public hostnames like dns.google don't block anything, so you need your own.

1. Create a free NextDNS account, so your settings are saved.
2. Open the Parental Control tab, tap Add a website, app or game and add TikTok.
3. In the Setup tab, copy your personal hostname. It looks like abc123.dns.nextdns.io.
4. On a Pixel, open Settings > Network & internet > Private DNS. On a Samsung, open Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Private DNS.
5. Choose Private DNS provider hostname, paste your hostname and tap Save.

In our test on a Pixel, this blocked both tiktok.com and the TikTok app. We still recommend the Parental Control entry over typing domains into the Denylist: with YouTube, a Denylist entry only blocked the website and the app kept working.

This works in every browser. The catch: you can switch Private DNS back to "Automatic" in a few taps.

Option C: Family Link (for a child's phone)

If you're blocking TikTok for your kid, Google Family Link is the right tool. In the Family Link app, open your child's profile and go to Controls > Google Chrome and Web > Manage sites, then add tiktok.com under Blocked. Family Link can also block the TikTok app itself. It's built for supervising a child's account, not for limiting yourself.

Option D: a blocker app

Apps like BlockSite can block websites and apps. They help, but any app you can install, you can uninstall. Our review of apps to stop scrolling explains that weak spot in detail.

Why TikTok keeps coming back

Every method above has an off switch, and you're the one holding it:

• TikTok's daily limit: enter the passcode and keep watching.
• App timer: two taps in Settings to remove it.
• Uninstalling: the Play Store has it back in about a minute.
• Chrome site timer: open another browser.
• Private DNS: set it back to "Automatic".
• Blocker apps: uninstall them, or turn off their permissions.

The block gets undone in a bad moment: you're tired, bored or avoiding something, and the off switch is right there. You don't need more willpower in that moment. You need a block that doesn't have an off switch on the phone.

I know this one well. I tried blockers for years and even built my own. Every one of them had a way around it, and at 11 p.m. I always found it.

The permanent option: StoicOS

StoicOS is an Android system that blocks addictive apps at the system level, using Android's Device Owner permissions. It can't be turned off or uninstalled from the phone. You decide once and don't have to argue with yourself again.

For TikTok, that means:

• The app is blocked. Social media is one of the blocked categories, together with streaming, games, porn and gambling.
• The website is blocked too. StoicOS has a global web blocklist that includes social sites, so tiktok.com won't load in the browser either. You can add your own URLs.
• The rest of your phone works. Calls, messaging, maps, banking, music, health and learning apps are always allowed. If you need another app, Request & Review checks it against the policy and approves it in under a minute if it's allowed.

What it doesn't do: StoicOS blocks whole apps. It can't give you "15 minutes of TikTok a day". If you want a daily limit instead of zero, stick with the app timers above.

Setup takes about 10 minutes with a computer (Chrome or Edge) and a USB cable. You don't need a factory reset. It works on Android 9 and up, on Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus and most other phones. There's no iPhone version, because Apple doesn't allow this level of control.

Which method should you pick?

Method	Can you undo it in a weak moment?	Cost	Effort
TikTok daily limit	Yes, with the passcode	Free	Low
Android app timer	Yes, two taps in Settings	Free	Low
Uninstalling TikTok	Yes, reinstall takes a minute	Free	Low
Chrome site timer	Yes, use another browser	Free	Low
Private DNS filtering	Yes, switch back to "Automatic"	Free or paid	Medium
Blocker app	Yes, uninstall it	Free or paid	Low
iPhone Screen Time	Yes, unless someone else has the code	Free	Low
StoicOS	No	From €7/month	10-minute setup

If your TikTok habit is mild, an app timer plus a Chrome site timer is often enough. If you've already deleted and reinstalled it a few times, skip ahead to a block you can't undo.

Get your life back with StoicOS

Android 9+ · From €7/month · 30-day money-back guarantee · Not available on iPhone

Related guides

• How to block Instagram
• How to block websites on Android
• How to block YouTube on Android
• How to check screen time on Android
• Digital Wellbeing on Samsung
• How to stop doomscrolling

Frequently asked questions

How do I block TikTok on Android?

Set an app timer in Settings > Digital Wellbeing (on Samsung: Digital Wellbeing and parental controls), or uninstall the app. On a Pixel, add a Chrome site timer for tiktok.com so the website doesn't replace the app. For a block you can't remove from the phone, use a system-level blocker like StoicOS.

Can I block TikTok in Chrome on Android?

Chrome has no built-in website blocker on Android. On a Pixel you can set a site timer for tiktok.com through Digital Wellbeing, use Private DNS with a filtering service that blocks tiktok.com, or use Family Link on a child's phone.

Does TikTok's daily screen time limit stop me from watching?

No. When you reach the limit, TikTok asks you to close the app, but you can enter a passcode and keep watching. It works as a reminder, not a block.

How do I block TikTok on my child's phone?

On Android, use Google Family Link to block the TikTok app and add tiktok.com to the blocked sites in Chrome. TikTok's own Family Pairing lets you set your teen's daily screen time inside the app.

How do I block TikTok on iPhone?

On iOS 27, set a Time Allowance for the Social Media category in Settings > Screen Time. On iOS 26 and earlier, use Screen Time > App Limits and block tiktok.com under Content & Privacy Restrictions. Limits you set for yourself can be ignored, so they work best when someone else knows the passcode.

How do I delete TikTok?

To remove the app, press and hold the TikTok icon and tap Uninstall. To close your account, go to Profile > Menu > Settings and privacy > Account > Deactivate or delete account. Deactivating hides your profile until you log back in. Deleting removes it after a short grace period.

Can I block TikTok permanently?

Not with the built-in tools, because each one can be turned off from the phone. StoicOS blocks the TikTok app and tiktok.com at the system level on Android, and it can't be turned off or uninstalled from the phone.