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Effective Ways to Block TikTok on Android
Learn effective ways to block TiTok without relying on parental controls.
If you've ever stopped to wonder whether TikTok is a waste of time, you may have considered uninstalling it from your Android smartphone altogether. However, a better approach would be to block TikTok on Android entirely so that you don't have the option to re-install it or view it in the browser on your phone.
With all of the money invested to keep you hooked on the TikTok platform, it's no wonder it's hard to quit.
Long term readers of Tech Lockdown know that we take breaking bad habits very seriously. One important part of breaking these habits is to prevent yourself from accessing addicting content again.
The most difficult part of breaking a long-term habit is simply acknowledging that it's an issue. The next difficult step is cutting it out of your life, even if it means taking a smaller step and limiting how long you can use the platform in a day.
For some people, simply uninstalling TikTok or deactivating a TikTok profile doesn't solve the problem. What's really stopping you from downloading the app again, re-activating an account, accessing TikTok via a web browser, or even using another device?
In this article, we go over several different methods you can use to block the TikTok app on Android while also taking your other devices into account. If you want to start by limiting how long you can use the app each day, there are several, concrete ways to schedule your usage.
Schedule When You Can Use TikTok on Android
It might seem impossible for you to quit using TikTok all at once. While it's far more effective to start by blocking the app entirely, one first step you can consider is to set a schedule and also limit how long you can use TikTok each day.
Start by specifying your leisure times on a daily basis. For example, during a lunch break or after dinner at night.
You can adjust this schedule overtime and further reduce when TikTok can be accessed.
The best way to block TikTok on a schedule on Android smartphones is to use a DNS Content Policy. This ensures that both the Android TikTok app and browser version of TikTok are blocked.
You can create a DNS Content Policy with a scheduled block rule using the Tech Lockdown dashboard.
Your DNS content policy will apply to all devices with the filter installed by default. This is helpful if you have many devices, and you want to ensure that you can't switch to your computer to browse TikTok.
However, if you don't want to block TikTok for everyone in your household, just your Android smartphone, consider scoping the rule to a person so that other people aren't affected.
You might run into a problem when with scheduling: you might try to "maximize" you TikTok usage during your allowed times. Sure, you've prevented yourself from accessing the app when you should be working, but you might end up spending the same (or more) during the times you've allowed.
Instead, you can combine a scheduled DNS rule with App Limits.
There are two main options you can consider: either install a screen time app from the Google Play store or use Android's parental controls . Most Android smartphone devices should have a section for Digital Wellbeing and parental controls:
Digital Wellbeing has some tools you may be able to take advantage of:
- You can set App Limits. Note: you won't be able to enforce these settings.
- You can schedule Downtime, so you won't get distracted by notifications. However, your ability to prevent the TikTok website are extremely limited.
If you're trying to self-manage, we don't recommend relying on App Limits or Downtime by itself. It's simply too easy to disable and not powerful enough to block all kinds of content. You might use these features in combination DNS filtering or Managed Mode.
Mobile Device Management for Android lets you set App Blocklists and Allowlists to more effectively block TikTok on Android. This works great alongside a DNS Content Policy.
Furthermore, device management allows you to enforce apps, such as the DNS Filtering app that connects you to your Tech Lockdown DNS Content Policy.
Strategies for Blocking the TikTok App Completely on Android
Let's rip the Band-Aid off. What tools can you use to block TikTok entirely on your Android smartphone?
One effective way to block apps is to use a DNS Filtering service, which can block both the app and website on your Android device and other devices as well. This is an ideal approach since switching from the app to the browser version is a common bypass technique to get around Android parental control limits.
Using the Tech Lockdown dashboard , you can completely disable both the TikTok app and website on your smartphone.
If you install the filter on your Android device, then the rules that you set on your Content Policy will start taking effect. You can also customize your rules further to block other time-wasting apps, while allowing useful platforms:
Most Android devices have parental controls included in Digital Wellbeing and parental controls. By combining these settings with DNS filtering, you can have multiple layers of protection on your smartphone.
On Google Pixel phones and Samsung phones, you can find parental control options offered by Google in the device's general settings.
If you want to use parental controls to block the TikTok app, you will have to set up and install Family Link . Unfortunately, this also means you will have at least two Google accounts, one to act as a parent and other as a child.
Family Link might be a good option for families, but we don't believe it's a good option if you're self-managing. It's not just because you'd need multiple Google accounts, there are other reasons:
- In order for any kind of app limits to be enabled for a child Google account, the age set for the account must be less than 13 years old.
- Child accounts can leave Family Link relatively easily, so even if you did get it set up correctly, it's easy to undo.
For those interesting in setting up an effective blocking system, we strongly recommend enabling managed mode on your Android devices instead. Managed mode lets you create your own blocklist of apps.
Turning your standard Android device into a managed device allows you to unlock other features; features that aren't possible with a standard device:
- Prevent an app from being uninstalled (this is perfect if you want to prevent a content filtering app from being uninstalled).
- Remotely install and uninstall apps.
Going Further with Bypass Prevention
When it comes to dealing with addictive apps like TikTok and the subsequent bad habits, we've found that a multi-layered approach to blocking and bypass prevention is essential. Crafting effective blocking systems is what we focus on at Tech Lockdown.
However, you might need to go further in some cases with more of a focus on bypass prevention.
Here's what I mean by that. For Android devices:
- Built-in parental control features are designed for productivity, and as a result are fairly easy to bypass, especially if you are self-managing.
- You need to consider both the app and web versions of most apps.
- Some people are highly motivated to get around blockers to access addictive content.
In order to add significant friction to help break compulsive behaviors, I've written a definitive guide that goes through concepts like the following:
- Go much further than parental controls with device management techniques to enforce restrictions on a device.
- Increasing accountability and browsing transparency.
- Preventing uninstall of apps and browsers extensions.
- Handling common bypass methods.
- Install the filter on all of your devices.
These step-by-step instructions are made available to Tech Lockdown members in your account dashboard in the guides section.