How to Target US Audience on TikTok
Step-by-step guide to set up your device and accounts for targeting US audience on TikTok and Instagram.
When you're reinstalling, do not give any access for location or relative permissions, and do not send data to Apple. This ensures a clean setup without location tracking.
After formatting: Put your phone in airplane mode, then turn on WiFi (keep airplane mode on). Do not turn off airplane mode and do not put any SIM cards in the phone. USA SIM is not necessary at all, you only need WiFi connection.
Important: After resetting the phone, make sure to set the timezone to USA timezone and configure all country settings to USA-related settings (region, language, date format, etc.). This ensures your device appears as a USA device from the start.
When you're downloading the Outline VPN app, you can use any App Store or Google Play account, it doesn't matter. The account you use for downloading Outline won't affect your TikTok setup.
After downloading the app, put your access key and connect the VPN.
After connecting to the VPN, you need to check your IP address to ensure it's safe and won't get you shadow banned. First, verify that your IP address shows you're connecting from the USA. Then, enter your IP address into the safety checker tool below to check the fraud score. A fraud score lower than 40-50 is usually okay, but a score lower than 10 would be better to avoid any shadow ban risks. Verify this using:
After verifying your IP is USA, logout from your location-based App Store or Google Play account. Create a new account with the VPN still connected. This will make the App Store account a USA App Store account. You can use any phone number if it's asking or email, it's totally fine. TikTok or Instagram would never know your App Store phone number, but they can know your App Store location.
After you switch the App Store account to USA App Store, now you can download TikTok and Instagram to your phone. Make sure you're still connected to the VPN when downloading.
When you download TikTok, you can sign in with any email account. Best practice: Open an iCloud email with your brand new Apple account and use that for TikTok as well. You don't need any phone number to add. As long as you activate with the email address, you're good to go.
Once you've completed the setup steps above, you'll need to warm up your TikTok account before posting content. This process helps establish your account as a legitimate user and prevents shadow bans.
Warm-up includes:
- Multiple engagement sessions (scrolling, liking, commenting)
- Profile completion (photo, name, description)
- Testing follow functionality
- Posting a test video to verify account readiness
New Formatted Device
Phone, tablet, or iPad that has been freshly formatted and reinstalled
Outline Access Key
VPN access key for Outline to connect to a US server
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about TikTok Country Specific Audience VPN setup and account management