How to ByPass the TikTok Ban
Stormtrooper Security

This guide will show you how to bypass the a TikTok Ban step-by-step. Before we get started, let’s just acknowledge that TikTok definitely does not meet our criteria for an application that respects users privacy. So why help users bypass the TikTok Ban? The answer is that banning apps, websites, speech, communication, or just parts of the Internet in general poses a much greater threat to free society than simple data privacy issues.

Ok, on to circumventing the TikTok ban. First of all, a VPN might be the simplest solution except for one thing you need to keep in mind – they all collect your personal data. Trusting an ISP or VPN to keep your data safe under normal circumstances is one thing but what if things turn political? No, not “political” but imagine its 2021 2024 and the “gloves are offPolitical? Not long ago the Justice Department requested the IP Addresses of every user to visit a site planning to disrupt the 2016 Presidential Inauguration. Just consider for a bit before you take action.

You never know how your data will be used in the future and so we like the Tor Network for staying anonymous when online. Simply put, privacy is cybersecurity for people. You can bypass the TikTok ban simply enough with the Tor Browser, as long as you are content to just use the website. This guide focuses on using our Smart Devices like tablets and smart phones how we want to use them. To really get around the TikTok ban, new users will need to be able download the app and use it in the United States even after a ban takes place.

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Start with a Tor Router like the AMENDMENT1

To do this, you will need anonymous access to the networks outside of the United States. A Tor Router with WiFi is the perfect tool for this because smart devices generally are not able to use the Tor Browser. There are some “Tor Apps” available for Smart Devices but caveat emptor. The Good News is you can simply download the AMENDMENT1 Software for free and just follow the guide to install on any Raspberry Pi 3B. Whatever path you choose for a Tor Router, here is a link to our AMENDMENT1 User Guide and how to configure it. Do this step first!


How to Bypass the TikTok Ban on Apple iOS

If you find that you haven’t already downloaded the TikTok App from the Apple App Store when a ban is put in place, you might consider just starting with a used iPhone or iPad. Your local iPhone repair shop will likely have some on hand you can buy for cheap. Otherwise, you will at least need to log out of the App Store in iOS before you start. You are going to create a new user and fresh Apple ID in just a moment but first some basics.

Next let’s just set some features to ensure we don’t accidentally leak our location through the iOS Software. Turn Off all iCloud Services (the new Apple ID won’t need them).

And then just check to make sure location services are turned off as well. To take an extra step, you might even turn off Cellular Data in the Phone Settings (if you have Cellular on your device) just to be extra sure.

To download TikTok from the Apple Store while it is banned in the United States will require some creativity. To do so, we are going to be Canadian (as far as anyone knows). We are choosing Canadian because they speak English, share the same telephone country code (+1) as the United States, and have good, reliable network bandwidth. But we aren’t going to do any “hacking” to make this work. We are simply going to demur about the specifics of certain information we don’t want to share. Start by creating a new email account you want to use to create the AppleID. We like to use TutaNota but you can use any email service you feel comfortable using. You are going to use this email to create a new “Canadian” AppleID.

Earlier, we configured the AMENDMENT1 to use only Canadian Exit Nodes from the Tor Network for this example to work, because your IP is the Key to your online identity. Just make sure to join the AMENDMENT1 WiFi network before trying to log into the Apple Store or create a new Apple ID. With Cellular Data off, Location Services off, and all previous Apple IDs logged out of iCloud and the App Store, we might as well be in Canada.

Go ahead and get your new email address for your Canadian AppleID if you have not already. Again, almost any email will do but we recommend TutaNota because even if they wanted to share your information, they cannot, as they do not have keys to decrypt your data.

Apple will ask you to enter an email address and password to create a new Apple ID. Use the email you just created and the usual guidelines for creating a password. Apple will send an email to validate the email account and a code you must enter to validate – all good practice. This is what our email looked like and you just need a 6-digit code like the one below (the code from our example will not work for you).

Once you receive the email, enter the code in the dialog prompt. For simplicity sake, we used our laptop to log into the TutaNota email rather than trying to swap screens on our Smart Device. The Apple ID creation process is not related to your TutaNota email account (they can’t literally see each other) – it is just fine to use two devices for this step.

Now is where Apple will request a bit more information. Apple will want to know what country you reside in (and it may default to the United States) – so select “Canada”. If you say you are in United States it will be hard to bypass the TikTok ban. Obviously, you will need to agree to their Terms & Conditions. But we aren’t going to worry too much about those since we aren’t going to give up any useful information anyway. If you want to quickly learn what their Terms and Conditions say, check here.

Now for the Address and Phone Number. Ideally you will have a handy Canadian address to use – maybe use the address of that “Girlfriend” you met at camp? Similarly, you will need a Telephone Number but it will need to be legit and functioning because Apple will send an SMS to make sure its real.

If you don’t have a relative or Girlfriend in Canada then may we suggest Zillow? Just pop on, select a Provence and City of your choosing, and then think about your income bracket, etc, as you choose the type of home and location… Pick one and enter that address for the Apple ID. Chuckle to yourself thinking how marketers will drool over your profile imagining how wealthy and glamorous you must be.

Supplying a telephone number is a bit more complicated. Again, if you have a friend in Canada, you could always ask them to borrow their number for the sake of freedom of expression and your new Canadian Apple ID. A better solution is to create a Google Voice account (or use an old one you have laying around like we did). The best solution is to just use a real burner phone but you might find “Second Line” apps are easier. Your real phone would work fine as long as it isn’t already tied to an account or tied to another person! However you do it, expect you will receive an SMS with a code you need to enter as validation (again, our example code will not work for your activation).

Ok, that should take care of it. Just remember, you can select to not provide a credit card. Similarly, you can use a Pre-Paid Credit Card or Apple Store Gift Card if you really want to buy something from the App Store with your Canadian Apple ID.

Whew! Now for the easy part of bypassing the TikTok ban – download and sign up for TikTok! First, sign into the Apple App Store with your new Canadian Apple ID, if you are not already. Download the TikTok App.

Once you have downloaded the TikTok app, open it, and start the sign up process. The best part is you don’t even have to give your phone number to TikTok – just select email as the sign up option and use the same account from your new Canadian Apple ID! Again, don’t worry too much about your Terms & Conditions but if you want an overview, here it is.

A Few Helpful Notes

First of all, this is all dependent on Apple not blocking connections from Exit Nodes known to come from the Tor Network. They could do so under the guise of the same concerns as blocking TikTok in the first place. So far, they have instead implemented a balanced approach of keeping an eye on all connections to their services and blocking any that seem suspicious based on individual activity. It is a much higher standard on their part and also more focused on individuals. For this reason, you should always log out of your (Canadian) Apple ID account for all Apple Services – App Store, iTunes, iCloud – when not specifically using it. If they notice your account “hopping” IP Addresses that span physical locations in a short time frame they will lock the account. IP Address “hopping” is a natural part of using a Tor Router. The consequence is you will have to unlock your account and that can be tedious.

Don’t forget to follow and amplify all your United States friends now that you are “Canadian”. Similarly, be a good netizen. At least follow Celine Dion and support your new Canadian TikTok friends. Remember that laws still apply to you and you are still responsible for your behavior and what you post online. Using a “filter” will not hide your face should you say or do something expressly illegal in the United States or Canada. Don’t be dumb.

Keep in mind – you don’t have to be Canadian. You could be Mexican, German, British, French – its up to you. Of course, it helps to speak a foreign language and be sure to set your country in the Tor Router appropriately.

By the time this is published, the Apple ID account and TutaNota accounts associated with TikTokBan will have been deleted just as a matter of course.

Want to know how to bypass the TikTok ban with an Android device and need help? Let us know you are interested!