Some
iPhone users
in the US are facing concerns about the Chinese short-form video app TikTok. According to a report by PhoneArena, some
TikTok
users who access the social media platform from their iPhones have shared their concern on Reddit. Users noted that TikTok is asking users for their
iPhone
passcode before allowing them to continue to use the app. TikTok has been previously accused of stealing personal data of iPhone users. In August, a report claimed that TikTok's in-app keyboard on iOS has the capability of stealing personal data you type. This shows how sharing an iPhone's passcode with TikTok can be ‘dangerous’ for users.
Why TikTok is asking for iPhone passcodes
TikTok hasn’t explained why its iOS app is asking users for their iPhone passcodes. However, the report suggests that a
software bug
is behind the requests.
How this TikTok issue is affecting iPhone users
An iPhone user took to Reddit to reveal that TikTok stopped sending constant requests for his passcodes once he installed version 32.5.0 of the app for iOS.
On the other hand, several other TikTok users have noted that the app did not stop requesting for their iPhone passcode even after installing the update. Meanwhile, many other users got so frightened by the incident that they changed passwords on important apps including their banking and other financial apps.
Some other users thought deleting the TikTok app might be the easiest thing to stay safe. However, it is important to note that users may risk losing all their saved videos if they delete the TikTok app from the iPhone and reinstall it.
Some Reddit users also offered a temporary workaround to fix the TikTok issue. Meanwhile, some users who tapped the cancel button instead of giving their passcode were also able to continue with their TikTok session.
The report recommends users to try the cancel button when the app asks for their iPhone passcode. If that doesn't work, users should try updating to version 32.5.0 of TikTok. If that doesn't work, try to delete the app and reinstall it from the App Store. And if that doesn't work, try to contact
ByteDance
.