TikTok website is accessible even when not in allowed websites

Same issue! We’ve deleted the app because TikTok is somehow immune to Screen Time restrictions. Son was still able to access it through Safari. We added TikTok to the Never Allowed sites but it still still loads. Adding a time limit to the website is useless. All he has to do is hit “Ignore Time Limit” and it allows him to keep using the site.

We’re already frustrated that screen time restrictions don’t work for TikTok or YouTube. We’re talking about the two most problematic apps available. It’s disheartening that parents are sold a fallacy of being able to monitor and limit their children’s usage. Please find a solution so our kids can stay connected but also be safe from these intentionally addictive platforms.

I’m also bumping this, as I don’t want my daughter to be able to access TikTok through safari on her iPad (I’ve locked app installation down). Yet when I go to Screen Time > Content and Restrictions > Web Content, and add TikTok’s URL (both HTTPS, HTTP and www), the website still appears on safari. WHY?!? Someone at Apple can surely advise as to what URL we need to enter, to block this parasite of a website? Seems far easier on Android!!

I would like to bump this issue. I have the exact same problem. I followed the instructions in screen time, added tiktok.com to blocked websites, and it does NOT work.

It works for the other websites in the blocklist, e.g., youtube.com, but for some reason, tiktok.com still loads. I tried various combinations of the url to no effect.

Can someone from Apple try to replicate this issue and let us know if there is a workaround.

Thanks!

I’ve found the issue for Safari (Chrome did block it) - you need to go to Settings > Safari > clear history and website data.

It should then block the site, if you’ve added the URLs into the block list. Hope that helps.

I have investigated quite a lot and think I have found "the issue". If you use like me Screen time > content and Privacy restrictions > content restrictions > web content > only allowed websites. Lets say you are not allowing tiktok.com there, it should not be possible to open, even if you refresh the site many times. BUT if you enter tiktok (or twitter?) through an article on the website that links to a video on tiktok.com, you get access.

Especially on ios for Ipad you get an easy access also. If you for example open this page which is a tech magasine and interview, you see an link to a tiktok video there. Click it in safari, and it opens tiktok.com.

Next time you open safari you can go directly to tiktok, and refresh the page and you are in and you are in. So i dont know if the website tiktok.com is doing certain changes on the settings that it is not allowed to do. I tried to in Safari settings to "clear history and website data", and then its blocked again. So seems like a link to Tiktok.com is changing the settings in some way that its not supposted to.

Please tell me if you have same experience? I have reported this to apple security issues...

Update: I was not allowed to add a link to a certain website her by moderator. So please open some kind of news paper or something that gives you a link to video from tiktok in it..

Or I can describe the website? If you google "Tek Norway" the first page is something with "Tester og guider for teknologi, hjem og fritid". There is an article called "Sommerspalten: «Tek fort, Jonas Lihaug!" which is an interview with a link to a video on tiktok.com.

[Edited by Moderator]

Thanks for reaching out tawanda36,

It sounds like you are having trouble blocking TikTok on your device. We can help.

Keep in mind there is a difference between TikTok the app, and TikTok the website. Screen Time restrictions that apply to the app will not do anything if the website is entered in a browser. Check out this guide to Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch:

Prevent web content

iOS and iPadOS can automatically filter website content to limit access to adult content in Safari and other apps on your device. You can also add specific websites to an approved or blocked list, or you can limit access to only approved websites. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your Screen Time passcode. 

3. Tap Content Restrictions, then tap Web Content.

4. Choose Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites, or Allowed Websites. 

Depending on the access you allow, you might need to add information, like the website that you want to restrict.

Hope that helps.

Take care.

I’m also bumping this, as I don’t want my daughter to be able to access TikTok through safari on her iPad (I’ve locked app installation down). Yet when I go to Screen Time > Content and Restrictions > Web Content, and add TikTok’s URL (both HTTPS, HTTP and www), the website still appears on safari. WHY?!? Someone at Apple can surely advise as to what URL we need to enter, to block this parasite of a website? Seems far easier on Android!!

I have had the same issue as well on my kids' iPads. I have all the content restrictions, and I have tried adding it to blocked websites, but it won't block. The section where it says clear data and history for safari is grayed out. I tried turning off restrictions temporarily, and it is still grayed out. Other websites I've added work just fine. Tiktok is the worst! Has anyone gotten it to block off cheating web data is grayed out?

I want to join in here, and I speak not about the app, but the website tiktok.com

Tiktok is very easy to go around. You can choose to have only "allowed websites", and you dont need to add tiktok. Just enter tiktok.com and it will be blocked, but refresh the site and you are in. Then you can search for searchwords that are not appropriate for children. I remember that it was better blocked before, and I think its a change in safari settings somewhere. You might remember that before you could read an article in safari, and if there was a link to an tiktok video, it would not show the video, just a white frame.

Now its shows the video and you can click the video and you are taken into tiktok.com. On ipad you are even more free to use, since on an iphone they will constantly try to push you to sign up. On ipad you easy work around this.

By the way, twitter is also allowed this way, and twitter are known for not having minimum restrictions on whats posted.

I might have found the root of the issue...

if you download Edge and you try to open tiktok.com, its not working, even if you refresh it many times.

This article is an interview in Norwegian where there is a tiktok video linked in the bottom of the article. If you open this in Edge, you can now accesss tiktok. Close Edge, and open it again, and you have access to tiktok. So some settings are changed when the tiktok link is clicked through an article.

After speaking with Apple support, what worked for me was resetting the network settings on all of our devices. Word of caution, this will delete all network settings and WI-FI passwords. Screen Time now works properly and blocks websites including TikTok.

I am also having issues ONLY with TikTok when I set parental restriction to the app. I can limit to 1 min and my teen still watches it for 4 hs daily! Obviously they have something in their algorithm that is bypassing controls. Unfortunately not an ethical company. I will have to go thru the pain of completely remove it. Thanks to the parents that are reporting issues!

Did you find a solution to this? I’m struggling with the same thing. I’ve managed to restrict TikTok web access to a certain extent. But if a friend sends my son a TikTok link in iMessage, the video plays in safari! If he selects a different video to play, this isn’t possible and shows as restricted, but I want to block the links sent via messages too! Seems crazy they work, despite the block?! Any help would be great - thanks!

I have screentime limits set which include the content restriction of “allowed websites only” for my child. I was still able to access TikTok through Safari even without the website on the approved list. We need a fix now please.

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Its grey because you have restrictions settings on. Turn off all restricitons, and try again. After that you turn restrictions on again