How to block TikTok on iPhone (and at night)

SHORT ANSWER

To block TikTok on iPhone, use TikTok’s Daily screen time setting, Apple’s Screen Time, or an app blocker such as Bouncer. They go from a simple notification to a real block.

🔔 TikTok’s Daily screen time: a notification when you reach your time. You can turn it off at any time.
⚙️ Screen Time: limits TikTok by schedule or by daily time (why limits get ignored).
🚪 Bouncer: blocks TikTok during the window or after the limit you set.
🌙 At night: use a schedule. A daily total can run out in the morning.

Option 1: TikTok’s Daily screen time

TikTok describes this setting as a notification when you reach your time. You can turn it on and off at any time. The same Screen time menu also offers screen time breaks and sleep reminders.

Illustration. Screen Time behavior from Apple’s iOS 26 guide. The Bouncer shield shows the app’s real text.

In TikTok, tap Profile at the bottom.
Tap the menu at the top, then Settings and privacy.
Tap Screen time, then Daily screen time.
Turn the setting on and choose a time limit, or set a custom limit for each day.

Option 2: Screen Time

On iOS 26, go to Settings → Screen Time → App Limits → Add Limit, find TikTok in its category, then set the time. Apple notes that limits can be ignored once reached by default. To keep TikTok closed at night, use Downtime with Block at Downtime and a Screen Time passcode.

On iOS 27, use a Screen Time Schedule for the night window and a Time Allowance for the category that contains TikTok.

Option 3: Block TikTok with Bouncer

With Normal, you can still open TikTok at night after a short wait. With High, each late-night unblock makes the next wait longer and the session shorter. With Lockdown, TikTok stays closed until the morning, except for one Emergency Pass that returns seven days after use.

Start from the Sleep preset for nights, or create a Rule.
Select TikTok in Apple’s app picker.
Set the window, for example 11 PM to 7 AM, and the days.
Choose Normal, High or Lockdown. Lockdown keeps TikTok blocked until the window ends.

Bouncer Lockdown screen: List closed until 12 PM, with a Walk away button and no unblock option — During Lockdown the only button is Walk away. Demo data.

Why a night window works better than a daily total

A daily total runs out whenever you happen to use it up, sometimes in the morning. A night window covers the time before sleep, every night. Set the end time in advance, so the block lifts on its own in the morning. More ideas in how to stop doomscrolling.

🌙 Start the window 30 minutes before you usually go to bed, not at bedtime.

Frequently asked questions

Can I lock TikTok with a passcode?

On iPhone, you can require Face ID or the passcode to open an app: touch and hold the app, then tap Require Face ID. This asks for Face ID or the passcode, but it does not limit time.

Does TikTok’s Daily screen time block the app?

TikTok describes it as a notification when you reach your daily time, and you can turn it off at any time.

How do I block TikTok only at night?

Use a schedule instead of a daily limit: Downtime on iOS 26, a Screen Time Schedule on iOS 27, or a Bouncer Rule with a night window.

Sources

Sources checked on 24 September 2026. External features and offers can change.

Block the apps that pull you in.

Bouncer makes you wait before you open them, or keeps them closed until the time you set.