How can I stop my child re-downloading TikTok after I remove it from his device (since he doesn't have to 'Ask to Buy') ?

Image by Pezibear from Pixabay 

Many of you will have read about the concerns around the Chinese social media app, TikTok - an app that is very popular teens and younger children.

TikTok was previously the Music.ly app that so many kids used to record and share short videos of themselves lip-sync'ing to songs.  Here is an article that we wrote several years ago about the dangers of Music.ly.

Even though the age rating is 12+, children using this app are often much younger.

Here is the ABC News report that all parents should read, describing concerns around data being collected by China and the threat to user privacy.

How to remove TikTok from your child's device (if it is already downloaded)

Just this week, I had a parent from Canada contact me, and he asked a really good question relating to Tik Tok (and Snapchat).

He wanted to know how he could permanently remove Tik Tok and Snapchat from his 13yo son's i-Devices.

Unfortunately, if a child has previously downloaded the app/s, then the 'Ask to Buy' control of Family Sharing, which normally applies to the child's attempts to download the app, will not apply to the previously downloaded apps.  Here is an iTandCoffee article that this parent read, describing how his child could download these apps again without parental permission, and one of the options for preventing this.

This parent was keen to get advice on what other alternatives he had (other that the option described by the article above), given that the app is 'allowed' by the 12+ 'age rating' he set up for Apps, in the Content & Privacy Restrictions of Screen Time (found in Settings) on the child's devices.

(Note. If this parent has set up Family Sharing and the child is part of his Family, he can also manage these Screen Time settings from his own device.)

There are a few other options available to this parent to restrict the apps available to his son - especially those that could be otherwise downloaded without parent permission:
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• He could lower the age restriction for apps that are available to his son to 9+ (instead of 12+) - this is done in Screen Time from Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Content Restrictions (the Apps option)
• He can completely block the downloading of Apps by his son - this is done in Screen Time, from Content & Privacy Restrictions -> iTunes and App Store Purchases (and he can temporarily release this restriction when an app purchase/download is to be allowed).
• He can set up an App Limit (also an option in Screen Time) that specifically applies to any apps that he wants to block, and set the time limit at 1 minute (the lowest that is available). (Unfortunately, it is not possible to set a 0 minute time limit).

​If anyone has any other suggestions to offer on this one, please leave a suggestion in the comments below.

If you decide to allow your child to use TikTok ...

If you do allow your child on TikTok, make sure you know how to check and set the privacy and safety settings for your child.
Here is a web page that describes these settings, and another that looks at the new 'parental controls' that will hopefully be available in Australia soon.

• TikTok Complete Parent App Review
• TikTok launches parental controls in the UK, no date for US rollout yet

An important new Parental Control for Apple Mobile devices

Given the dangers associated with children's use of apps and the potential for them to be contacted by someone you and they don't know (and who might be a danger to them), it is important to know that there is a new Parental Control in Screen Time on the iPad and iPhone that allows a parent to set Communication Limits.

These limits allow parents to control who the child can have contact with (via Phone, Messages and FaceTime) during the day, and further limit these contacts during Downtime. Parents can also take control of the child's Contacts list.

Interested in learning more about setting up Parental Controls on your child's device/s?

We regularly run interactive workshops for parents on this topic. See our class schedule below to find out where the session is running.

​Sessions held at iTandCoffee in Camberwell are open to anyone (booking required), while school and business-based sessions are private sessions for parents at the school/business.