Since creating a more restricted version of the app for those under the age of 16, many TikTok users have tried to change their age to access more content. But how do you change your age on TikTok?
When signing up for any website or app, it’s a common mistake to put your age in wrong. Maybe you accidentally put it a year or two away from your actual date of birth or, in TikTok’s case, signups were bugged, preventing users from putting in their actual date of birth.
We’ve seen the impact of this on other platforms — for example, brand accounts for new startup companies being suspended due to being “underage” .
So what’s the deal with TikTok, and how can you change your age on the app?
TikTok introduced a new age restriction for users under 16 at the start of 2021.
New TikTok age restrictions
There are two ways for you to change your age on TikTok, though they haven’t made it particularly easy: after all, they don’t want users lying about their age, especially if you’re below the allowed age of 13.
On January 13, 2021, TikTok also strengthened its privacy settings by making every account under the age of 16 private by default, which came just months after the mass ban of multiple underaged accounts.
So, here’s what you can do to change your age.
Can you change your age on TikTok?
It is possible to change your age on TikTok, but you will have to prove your age. In 2021, TikTok tightened its privacy settings by making all accounts under the age of 16 private and removing the ability to change your birth date within the app once your age had been set.
However, if you’ve realized your birth date on the app is wrong, you’ll need to contact the app’s customer support team.
How to contact TikTok about age change
We understand that some users may be experiencing app issues. Please go to Profile > Privacy and Settings > “Report a Problem”to tell us what’s happening. If you can’t access the app, please email [email protected] so our support team can follow up!
— TikTok US (@tiktok_us) March 1, 2019
They advised hitting the ‘Report a Problem’ button in-app or, if you don’t have access, emailing [email protected] with proof of age. This has to be a government-certified identification such as a passport, driving license, birth certificate, etc.
To report the problem within the app, simply follow these steps:
- Open the TikTok app
- Tap on Profile at the bottom right of the home screen and tap on the three lines in the top-right corner, which takes you to the Settings and privacy page.
- Scroll down until you see the Support section and under that, tap Report a Problem.
- Select Account and profile before tapping on Editing profile.
- Select Other and then tap on the Need more help? option. This will bring you to a feedback form where you can enter a text request to change an inaccurate date of birth on your account.
Make a new TikTok account
If you have wrongly input your age and don’t want to go through the hassle of contacting TikTok’s customer service to get it changed, you can simply just make a new TikTok account.
To do so, follow these steps to log out of your current one:
- Click the ‘Me’ tab
- Tap the 3 dots at the top right
- Scroll down and select ‘Log Out’
- Then you can follow the sign-up instructions to make a new account.
We have to reiterate that we do not advise doing this if you’re planning on cheating the system and lying about your age. These privacy settings were put in place for a reason, and even if you do lie about your age this will eventually be found out anyway.
If you have legitimate concerns that your age or date of birth is wrong in the app, and if it is hindering your experience, then these tips will help.