- You can easily turn off cellular data on TikTok on an iPhone to limit yourself to using the app on Wi-Fi; Android users can only turn off the app's background cellular data use.
- In addition to consuming significant amounts of cellular data, TikTok's video-sharing social networking app has been criticized for potential privacy problems related to user data.
- If you're sufficiently concerned about TikTok's privacy issues, the ultimate option is to simply uninstall it.
- Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.
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There's no doubt that TikTok is an incredibly popular video-sharing social networking app.
There's also no doubt that many people have concerns about the app and its data usage – both from a privacy perspective and a more general worry that TikTok consumes a lot of cellular data, which can be costly if you don't have unlimited data.
Short of outright deleting the app from your phone, there's not a lot you can do to mitigate privacy concerns, but you can certainly control how much cellular data TikTok uses – you can turn off the app's data usage so it is limited to Wi-Fi.
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Check out the products mentioned in this article:
iPhone 11 (From $699 at Apple)
Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $699.99 at Walmart)
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How to turn off cellular data on TikTok on an iPhone
You can prevent TikTok from using any cellular data at all, so it will only let you watch or post videos when on Wi-Fi.
1. On your iPhone, start the "Settings" app.
2. Tap "Cellular" and scroll down to the "Cellular Data" section.
3. Find TikTok in the list (unfortunately, the list is not in alphabetical order, so you may need to search carefully) and turn off data by sliding the button to the left.
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How to turn off cellular data on TikTok on an Android phone
Unfortunately, Android phones don't let you turn off cellular data on an app-by-app basis the way you can with the iPhone. Instead, you can disable TikTok's ability to use data in the background, when the app isn't running. Or, you can turn off cellular data entirely, which affects all apps and services.
1. On your Android phone, start the "Settings" app and tap "Apps."
2. Find TikTok and tap it.
3. Click "Mobile data" and turn off "Allow background data usage" by sliding the button to the left.
4. If you want to temporarily disable cellular data, start the "Settings" app and then tap "Connections." Then tap "Data usage" and turn off "Mobile data" by sliding the button to the left. Remember it's now turned off for all apps, not just TikTok.
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How to delete TikTok from your phone
If you are sufficiently concerned about TikTok's data usage or privacy settings and you'd rather simply uninstall it from your phone, that's easy to do.
If you have an iPhone, tap and hold the app icon and select "Delete App." If you have an older version of iPhone or haven't updated your software in a while, follow these instructions to delete apps.
If you are an Android user, simply tap and hold the TikTok app icon. After a moment, you will see a pop-up menu appear. Tap "Uninstall" to remove it from your phone.
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Related coverage fromTech Reference:
How to duet on TikTok and record a video alongside someone else's
How to add custom sounds and music to a TikTok, or pick from TikTok's pre-made library
How to get a TikTok Pro account to enhance your account using analytics
How to turn off data roaming on your Android phone to prevent surcharges
How to turn off data roaming on your iPhone for international travel, or completely turn off cellular data
Freelance Writer
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.
