TikTok doesn’t require a phone number to work. But it does give you the option to enter your phone number if you want to (I don’t know why you would, though).
One more thing – technically, you can create your TikTok account based on your:
- Email address
- Phone number
If you use your phone number to create the account, you won’t be able to remove the phone number until you add your email address, and vice-versa.
You see, the account has to have an identification method (that being an email address or phone number). It can’t function without one.
By the way, if you want to unlink or remove your phone number from TikTok, check out this guide.
Will TikTok Force Me to Enter My Phone Number?
No, it doesn’t work like that.
TikTok can’t force you to enter your phone number unless you willingly provide it or choose to use Two-Factor Authentication via SMS.
Other cases where your phone number may be required are:
- When you want to recover your account, and you don’t have access to your email address
- When you’re a business, and you enter contact details in the bio
- When you unlink your email address from your TikTok account
So, you see, you’re largely in control (I use this term very loosely) of your experience on TikTok but if you want total privacy, then don’t use the app. Simple as that.
Does TikTok Remember my Phone Number After Removing it?
There’s every chance that TikTok remembers everything. For eternity. All jokes aside, considering how worrying its data collection policies are, TikTok may retain your phone number for a long time.
We don’t know that for sure, though, and theoretically they’re forced to remove all traces of your personal data after a set period of time.
So anything else is pure speculation on my part.
But you can never be too safe, and if you don’t want your phone number in the hands of TikTok’s finest, then just don’t enter your phone number into the platform. Ever.
I hope I’ve been able to answer your question. If you need any more help, let me know in the comments below!
