TikTok users left baffled after app requires their iPhone password to open it

If you've been on TikTok over the past couple of days (and let's face it, what else have you really been doing) you might have noticed an unusual new request.

Some users have reportedly been asked to input their iPhone passcode to launch the app - which feels a bit strange, as that's normally a level of cybersecurity reserved for more serious outfits like banking apps.

A lot of people have been posting about the new request on social media - and they can't seem to understand why it looks to be a new requirement on TikTok.

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"Why I gotta use a passcode to get on TikTok now?", one person asked on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Another pondered on X: "Why does my phone keep making me put in my passcode for tiktok?".

Apparently this feature isn't brand spanking new - it was reportedly first experienced in November, but has been more widely seen as December goes on.

While TikTok hasn't yet explained what it's all about, some people have their theories.

One X user posted a few of these possible theories: "TikTok asks users for passcodes, possibly due to restricted mode, software glitches, security updates, or app changes."

If 'Restricted Mode' is currently set on your phone, you might be prevented from seeing certain things on TikTok - to turn this off, you'll have to go into the privacy settings in the app, look at 'content preferences' and re-enter your passcode.

That could be one possible fix if you're keen to stop entering your passcode again and again.

Otherwise, Indy100 suggests the passcode feature could be down to a bug - it recommends hitting 'cancel' at the bottom of the screen to skip entering it in altogether.

Or another fail-safe for anything that might go wrong with your phone is to make sure you've downloaded the most up-to-date version of the app, while also making sure you've got the latest operating system downloaded.

And then you'll be free to scroll TikTok to your heart's content - just make sure you avoid some of the dodgier trends there (such as decorating your car with Christmas items, which could potentially clock you up a fine) - and get involved in some of the sillier fads, such as the filter that let's you kiss Shrek to your heart's content.