TikTok ban: VPN workarounds present significant compromises for users

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Thinking about how you'll access TikTok in the US after the ban comes into effect on Sunday and if a VPN is the solution? Let's examine your options for unblocking the TikTok app and website and the limitations or side effects you'll encounter to continue using the popular social media platform.

The Supreme Court has upheld the imminent TikTok ban in the USA, leaving millions of users looking for potential workarounds. When geo-restricted access to online content is an issue nowadays, you'd certainly be forgiven for thinking VPNs are the solution.

While a VPN will provide an initial fix, it will only get you so far. Without a lot of work on TikTok's end, it can only delay the inevitable demise of the app's presence in the USA due to a very limited website version of the service and a lack of future support for the mobile app. Let's dive into the details.

Can a VPN get around the TikTok ban?

A VPN, or virtual private network, is commonly used in app form on mobile devices, laptops, and even Amazon Fire TV Sticks to digitally mask your device's IP address—a series of numbers that includes your location.

Hiding your online activity this way is commonly used as an extra form of digital privacy. A VPN also lets you choose a different country for a new temporary IP address. This feature is super popular for accessing websites and services of another country. The most common use in this scenario is accessing a different streaming catalog abroad, be it different films and shows available on Netflix while still only paying for your US subscription or watching free coverage of the Australian Open from the free TV site, 9Now.

But if you think this is the quick fix to the TikTok ban, just hold up a minute. This one's a bit more complicated than accessing international streaming.

The first step of the ban is removing the TikTok app from distribution networks like Apple's App Store and Android's Play Store. So, first things first, if you haven't already, make sure you download the app (and sign in) onto any mobile devices (including tablets), as access to new downloads will be the first thing to go on Sunday. I'll tell you how to get around this later if you're too late.

If you've already downloaded TikTok, we suspect you will require a VPN from January 19 to open the app in the US—although this has not been confirmed.

If existing users' access to the app is restricted, then yes, a VPN like ExpressVPN is what you need to unlock the block, as it has a huge array of international servers. Initially, you should be able to use the app as normal when you turn on a VPN and select a valid country outside the US—Canada seems like the logical local option for most. However, the app will degrade over time due to a lack of tech support and software updates or patches.

Most of our apps are set to update themselves whenever a new patch comes along. However, that ends for US TikTok users on January 19. The app will still be supported in other countries, but these updates come directly from your local US app stores, and they won't be getting any more updates—even if you have a VPN on, as updates are sourced from the app store of the country you downloaded an app from.

Why TikTok software updates matter

Before I get to the part of using another country's app store to download TikTok and use that to keep it updated, let's look at what a lack of updates means for your TikTok app in the US.

Important security tweaks are among the most frequent requirements for apps, along with general bug fixes, which you're at the mercy of with any new update. When new features are added to an app, that's coming via updates, too. This ALL goes away on the 19th for the app. You'll be left with the most recent version at that date, warts and all.

As new features get added to the ever-evolving app, we'll see the US version fall behind. This might not be the end of the world for many people happy to watch videos from their favorite content creators and influencers, but for power users, or even just casual fans wanting to upload their videos, this is bad news. For all we know, TikTok might insist users are on a specific minimum version number of the app in order to upload or maybe even use it at all. So, how do you keep it updated?

Accessing foreign app stores

Well, this is where the headaches begin, and from what I've been reading elsewhere, there is a lot of bad advice from folks who don't quite understand how Apple and Google's app stores work.

Yes, a VPN is required in part to access another country's app store, but this comes with some significant caveats on Apple and Android platforms due to some awkward choices regarding your device's core account details.

I'm from the UK and recently moved to the US. While in the UK, I regularly tested various VPNs to access international apps or sites unavailable in the UK app stores (Hulu and Max, for example). So, I understand the technical hassle—not to mention that part of my role at Business Insider is testing various VPN scenarios. Moving to the US didn't just magically unlock access to the new world of apps on my phone.

That's because you have to go deep into your Apple/Google account settings to change your country. With Google, this wasn't ideal as you can only change access once a year, which leaves you at the risk of new apps you want not appearing in your app store going forward. Think US-only coffee stores with digital loyalty cards, or Paramount Plus, which has unique apps (and logins) per country, unlike Netflix.

Changing country on Apple devices wipes out any subscriptions you have tied to the service. Any store credit will also be deleted.

Chances are, these sacrifices on either platform are more hassle than they're worth to keep the app updated or download it onto new devices after the ban comes into effect. Although, you should be able to transfer the app from one phone to another when upgrading your phone.

How about TikTok's mobile website?

But what about just using the browser version outside the app? Chances are, you've never actually had to visit it before or have promptly been redirected to the app when entering the URL into a browser when on mobile, as per the two screenshots above.

TikTok hasn't confirmed what will happen to the browser version on the 19th, but we suspect access will be blocked in the US once the ban takes effect. If this is the case, a VPN would be ideal to regain access.

• Check out the latest VPN deals

This is where my head went straight away on hearing about the ban, already knowing the awaiting hassle mentioned above from the app stores. And then I went ahead and tested out TikTok without the app. On mobile, it's a hot mess. The desktop version on a PC or laptop is better, but still a pale shadow of the app.

The site's mobile version will constantly push you to download the app whenever you try to search or browse a few scrolls deep on a profile. Asking your phone's browser to view the site in desktop mode improves things a little as you don't get pushed to download the app as much, but navigating the site in this mode is a chore, and you can't see videos in proper fullscreen. You can't record and upload videos from here, either.

I assume this site will be blocked, like it has been in India since 2020, once the 19th kicks in. Yes, a VPN will help you get around this, but I'm not sure many readers will want to access this severely limited version of TikTok.

I also tested the TikTok website on my laptop, and it was a significantly smoother experience compared to the mangled afterthought that is the mobile website. Again, shooting and uploading your own videos directly isn't an option, but for people just happy to watch content, this feels like a potential replacement, especially as you don't have to worry about software updates on the browser version. Of course, you might miss out on a few features over time, as it's still a watered-down experience compared to an app.

Let's be honest, though, if you're watching TikToks, you're doing it on your phone for convenience, and nothing short of a crippling addiction is going to get everyone shifting over to a laptop to watch TikToks.

Of course, the mobile version of the website could be made workable, but in reality, it won't be worth the time of day for owners ByteDance. Most users worldwide have the app, and if US users need a VPN to access the browser version, the number of them who will actually go ahead and get one will be minimal, even with VPNs growing increasingly popular.

Should you get a VPN to access TikTok after the ban?

If you're just after a short-term solution while you wait things out to see if the incoming administration lifts the ban or ByteDance finds a buyer, then picking up a cheap VPN deal will allow you to keep enjoying TikTok, especially if you've already downloaded it before the ban arrives.

Downloading the app after the ban, or more importantly, keeping it updated over time, is where things get trickier. You'll have to make a decision on the consequences of changing your app store's location, as detailed above, and see if it's really worth it to keep things going. Any VPN worth its salt has a money-back guarantee, so if you pick one up and change your mind, you're not on the hook for anything and can get a refund simply enough.

VPNs, of course, have much wider use than accessing TikTok and international streaming, though. So, if you are buying one, you should be able to get much more from it. Protecting your online privacy from your home internet service provider or free public WiFi spots is essential nowadays, and many include excellent ad-blockers in addition to blocking trackers.

If you're looking for international sports and TV streaming options to go along with a new VPN, check out our latest streaming guides.

Learn more about the latest developments in the TikTok ban.

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