Since launching in the US market eight years ago, TikTok has been used by millions of Americans to connect with like-minded people, keep up with trends, and escape stress with some light-hearted comic relief.
However, after a long-standing tug-of-war between US politicians and TikTok parent company ByteDance over the app’s shady data collection practices, TikTok is on track to getting banned this week – unless the legislation is overturned or delayed by Congress in the eleventh hour.
Not ready to give up your Sunday night doom scroll? Rest assured, there are ways you can evade the looming ban with a little preparation. We outline how exactly this can be done in simple steps, so you can keep scrolling to your heart’s content if the ban does come into effect.
When Is TikTok Getting Banned In The US?
After a long back-and-forth between US legislators and TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, TikTok is on track to get banned in the US on Sunday, January 19. This is unless the Supreme Court accepts a last-minute legal bid from ByteDance, claiming that the action would be unconstitutional.
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If the ban takes place this weekend, users aren’t legally obliged to stop using the app, nor will it magically vanish from smartphones. However, with rumors circulating that the Byte-Dance-owned company will make the app unavailable to US users the day the ban goes into effect, we recommend taking precautionary measures while you still can.
How To Access TikTok After The Ban
Not ready to say goodbye to your favorite app? Follow the steps below to side-step TikTok’s looming ban:
1. Keep the app downloaded
If the ban goes ahead on January 19, the TikTok app will no longer be available to download from US app stores. Existing users will still be able to use TikTok if it’s already on their smartphones, though.
So, if you want to carry on using TikTok after its potential ban date, all you need to do is keep the app on your phone. However, you should be aware that as the app won’t be receiving regular updates, it will likely become less secure and more buggy over time.
2. Choose a VPN
To access TikTok after the ban, you’ll also need to use a VPN. VPNs are privacy tools that conceal a user’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. Not only does this obfuscation make it harder for cybercriminals to access user data, but it also allows users to bypass geo-restrictions and access content from anywhere in the world.
Lots of free VPNs don’t offer strong security protocols, however, and in some cases can actually leave devices more vulnerable to exploits like malware and DDoS attacks. To stay on the safe side, we recommend using a trusted provider like SurfShark, as it offers in-built security mechanisms and the fastest server speeds of any VPN we tested.
Pure VPN is another option that can help you avoid lag when scrolling through TikTok, or accessing other streaming services due to its fast response times. Check out our guide to the best VPN providers for iPhone for a detailed comparison of our favorite tools.
3. Open the VPN and select a location where TikTok isn’t blocked
Once you’ve downloaded and opened your chosen VPN, simply change your geo-location to a country where TikTok isn’t banned. Your choice will be pretty extensive as only a handful of countries have banned the app outright, including India, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Nepal.
You should bear in mind that using a VPN with TikTok will change what content you see on the app. So we’d suggest only choosing an English-speaking country, like the UK or Canada if you speak English as a first language. If you’re under 16, we’d recommend against using Australian geo-locations, however, due to the country’s age restrictions.
4. Open VPN and scroll TikTok
Once you’ve completed the steps above, you’ll be free to use TikTok as usual.
If, for any reason, you have to delete the short-form video app, it is also possible to download it again by changing the location of the App Store or Google Play to outside of the US. Doing so will also lift update restrictions on TikTok, so it’s worth taking this extra step if you don’t want your experience on the app to deteriorate in the future.
What Are The Best TikTok Alternatives?
TikTok’s unique algorithm is expert in knowing what content to recommend, but if you aren’t interested in using a VPN, or you’ve been considering moving on from the app anyway, other alternatives exist.
Our top recommendation is YouTube Shorts, as the functionality is already built into the YouTube platform, making it easily accessible, and in many cases, preventing users from having to download a separate app. YouTube Shorts takes your viewing history into account as well, helping provide you with more tailored short-form content.
Instagram Reels is another popular alternative, with a similar interface and algorithm to TikTok, and much of the same short-form content. There are lots of emerging lesser-known platforms too, so check out our full guide to the best TikTok alternatives for our full round-up.
