Easy Ways to Fix a TikTok App That Keeps Freezing

12 proven ways to fix a buggy TikTok app

Written by Candace Gasper | Edited by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: October 27, 2025 Fact Checked

It’s frustrating when you want to scroll through TikTok, but it keeps freezing. Whether the image freezes and you hear audio, or there is no audio or image, there are numerous reasons this can occur. The most common reason is Wi-Fi connection issues. There could also be a minor glitch, your app or phone may be outdated, or there may be a storage or cache issue. These issues are pretty easy to fix. This wikiHow article teaches various ways you can troubleshoot and fix your TikTok app when it keeps freezing.

TikTok Keeps Freezing

Check your Wi-Fi connection. Restart your router. Make sure your phone and the TikTok app are up-to-date. Make sure you have plenty of phone storage. Try clearing the TikTok app cache. Make sure TikTok isn’t down. You can also uninstall and reinstall the app.

1

Check your internet connection.

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Make sure you are connected to a strong internet. If you are connected to mobile data, try switching to Wi-Fi. If you're connected to Wi-Fi, try connecting to a strong mobile data connection (if your data plan allows it). See if you are experiencing slowing or connection issues with other apps.^{[1]
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2

Restart your modem or router.

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You can fix a lot of Wi-Fi issues by restarting your modem or router. To do so, unplug your modem or router for about 20 seconds. Then plug it back in. Wait a minute for it to boot back up. Then try reconnecting and see if this fixes the issue.

3

Check if TikTok is down.

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Online services like TikTok have to take their servers offline from time to time for maintenance and upkeep. It’s also possible that TikTok could be experiencing a surge of users, which is overloading the servers. You can use a website like DownDetector or IsItDown to see if there are any outages with TikTok. If there is, you may just need to wait it out.

4

Restart the app.

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There may be a temporary glitch with the app. You can resolve many minor glitches by restarting the app. Use one of the following steps to do so:
- Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Gear/Settings icon. Then tap Apps. Tap TikTok. Tap Force Stop at the bottom of the screen and tap Ok. Tap the TikTok app icon again to relaunch TikTok.
- iPhone & iPad: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the App Switcher. Swipe left or right until you find the TikTok app. Swipe up to force-quit it. Then tap the TikTok app on your Home screen or Apps Library to launch it again.^{[2]
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5

Restart your device.

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There may be a glitch with your phone. You can fix many minor glitches with your phone or tablet by restarting your device. Use one of the following steps to restart your device:
- Android: Press and hold the Power button. On some devices, you may need to press and hold the Power + Volume Down button. Wait until your power screen appears. Tap Restart.
- iPhone & iPad: On iPhone X and above, press and hold the Power and either Volume button. On older iPhone and iPad models, press and hold the Power button. When you see the Power Off slider, swipe it to power your device off. Wait 30 seconds and power it back on.^{[3]
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6

Update the TikTok app.

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Apps like TikTok are updated frequently to make sure they are running smoothly. If you don’t update your app regularly, it may start to experience issues. To update the TikTok app, open the Google Play Store on Android or the App Store on iPhone and iPad. Search TikTok and tap it. If an update is available, tap Update. Wait for the update to complete.

7

Update your device.

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Your device’s operating system may be outdated. Just as apps are frequently updated to ensure they run more smoothly, so too is your phone or tablet’s operating system. If you don’t regularly update your phone or tablet, you may start to experience problems with your various apps. Use one of the following steps to update your device:
- Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Gear/Settings icon. Tap the magnifying glass icon. Search “Update.” Tap Software update or System update. Tap Download and install if an update is available.
- iPhone & iPad: Open the Settings app and tap General. Scroll down and tap Software Update. Tap Install if an update is available.

8

Uninstall and reinstall TikTok.

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You may be able to fix this by uninstalling the app and reinstalling it. To uninstall TikTok, tap and hold the app icon on the Home screen or Apps menu. Then tap Delete or Uninstall. Open the Google Play Store or App Store and search “TikTok.” Tap TikTok in search results. Then tap Install or GET to install the app again.

9

Clear your TikTok cache.

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Your cache may be bloated or corrupt. The cache is temporary data that is supposed to help the app run more smoothly. However, over time, you may experience a build-up of cached data or some corruption in your cache files. This can cause problems. Use the following steps to clear the cache in the TikTok app:
- Open the TikTok app.
- Tap the Profile icon in the lower-right corner.
- Tap the icon with three lines (☰) in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Settings and privacy.
- Scroll down and tap Free up space.
- Tap Clear next to “Cache.”
- Tap Clear to confirm.

10

Check your device storage.

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If your phone’s storage is low, the TikTok app won’t be able to create a cache. This may start to cause the app to slow down or freeze. If your device is running low on storage, try deleting any old apps or games you don’t play anymore. Back up and delete any photos and videos on your device that you don’t need.

11

Contact TikTok support.

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Sometimes the issue is on TikTok’s end. You can fill out the feedback form to report a problem to TikTok. Be sure to include your username, a valid email, and as many details as you can. You can also upload images if need be. If there is an issue, TikTok will contact you.

12

Factory-reset your device.

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There may be a major glitch with your device. You can generally fix major issues by factory-resetting your device. This will erase all data on your phone and completely reinstall your device's operating system. You can back up your device so that you can restore it after the factory reset. However, you may still lose some data. This should only be done as a last resort. Use one of the following procedures to factory reset your device:
- Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Gear/Settings icon. Then tap the magnifying glass icon and search “Reset.” Tap Factory data reset or Erase all data (factory reset). Tap the option to factory reset your device at the bottom and follow the prompts to reset and restore your device.
- iPhone & iPad: Open the Settings app and tap General. Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone/iPad. Tap Erase All Content and Settings. Then follow the prompts to reset and restore your device.