Reasons Why TikTok Could be Unavailable

There are many reasons why TikTok could be unavailable for you from a technical standpoint. Blocking your account is one thing (and there are plenty of ways how to unblock TikTok). But if your account hasn’t been banned, or if never had one in the first place, it leaves several major causes behind such unavailability.

Are VPNs or Proxies Banned?

Some people fear that VPN services or proxy servers could be banned on TikTok, and could lead to an account block or simply to the app being unavailable. But it’s not true. It’s not encouraged by the company behind the app, but it’s certainly not prohibited either.

You can absolutely use them to access TikTok, and it can be hugely beneficial if TikTok is restricted in your country. But it’s also a good way to change your geolocation and see trends that are popular in other parts of the world. Don’t forget, however, that VPNs can’t save you from a ban, as they’ll simply block your account.

Is TOR Banned?

The TOR browser is another popular way to visit websites anonymously and with a different IP.

For its part, TikTok doesn’t work on TOR. It has a lot to do with the data collection policy of the company, and, while you can’t trace VPNs as well, it’s obvious enough when TOR is used. In short, it’s likely that you won’t be able to reach TikTok with TOR. It’s not 100% certainty, as many users get through the prevention algorithms.

But if you use TOR on your PC and can’t get to TikTok, then the browser might be the cause – especially if you can still access it as an app. It can also be different based on the version of TOR. Some versions are better at hiding their essence, and there are many other factors that come into play here, including chance.

Regional Ban

In some countries, TikTok was either banned by the authorities or restricted by the company itself. These nations include Russia, India, Indonesia, and several others. If you want to access this app in one of these nations, you’ll likely have to use VPN or a proxy server to even boot it up.

Some governments that you would probably not expect to censor an app such as this have in the past moved to restrict the use of TikTok in their jurisdictions. That includes the USA and the European Union. The reasons behind such motions were the same data collection policies TikTok employs.

In some countries, accessing TikTok via VPN may be harder than in others. In India, it’s a matter of finding a VPN that fits your budget. In Russia, many VPN services were restricted in use in one way or another. If they fail you, there are always proxy servers, which are more under the radar.

Hardware Incompatibility

In some cases, hardware being incompatible with the current version of the app might be the cause behind unavailability. If that’s the case, the app will either not be shown in the store at all or will instead be shown as unavailable for downloading – with a paler ‘download’ button.

There is a chance to fix it by going to the settings of Google Play and AppStore respectively and tinkering with the cache data. In particular, it’s better to delete unused data and try to download the app again. If it’s still impossible, then that’s the problem with the device.

The issue is more common with Android phones and with iPhones, for apparent reasons. If that’s the case, you can use a browser version of TikTok, which doesn’t depend as much on your hardware parameters. You’ll only have to make sure that your Google app is up to date.

Internet Connection

It’s possible that your Internet connection is simply not enough to handle TikTok, but that can also have roots in several factors.

Firstly, consider not using a VPN if it reduces your connection to a suitable level. VPN is known to degrade the Internet connection if the target server is too far away or if its capacity is overloaded. Proxies follow the same principle, although with them it can be remedied easily thanks to the large quantities of such servers out there. Secondly, your connection might simply be bad. It’s either weak from the beginning or is watered down because of how many people are connected to the same WiFi network as you. Consider getting a new Internet package or using a separate network if TikTok simply refuses to work.