Guide 3 of 3 · If you live outside the US
Setting up outside America.
TikTok shows your videos to people near you. If your phone looks like it’s in Europe, Europeans see your videos — and they can’t buy from a US shop. This makes your phone look American.
About 45 minutesFour things before you start
- A spare phone. An iPhone works best. This phone will only be used for this account.
- A US SIM card. Any one will do. You can buy them online for a few dollars.
- Your home wi-fi. That’s all the internet you need.
- A VPN app. A VPN makes websites think you’re somewhere else. You’ll set it to America.
If you use your everyday phone, TikTok mixes this account up with your normal one and gets confused about where you are.
Once you start on one phone, don’t switch to another.
Get a US SIM card
You’re only using it to tell the phone it’s in America. You will never make a call or use its data.
You don’t need to activate it. Just put it in the phone.
It doesn’t stop working after 30 days, even though the packet says so. Ours have lasted months.
Get a normal plastic SIM card, not an eSIM. eSIMs have caused problems for people.
Wipe the phone
This clears everything the phone remembers about where it’s been. On an iPhone:
Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content
and Settings
When the phone restarts, it asks you to choose a country. Choose United States.
If you pick the wrong one you have to wipe it and start again.
Put the SIM in, then set the phone up
The SIM goes in before you set the phone up, not after. That’s what makes the phone believe it’s American from the very start.
- Sign in with your normal Apple ID
- Connect to your home wi-fi
- Don’t use the SIM card’s data — wi-fi only
Install the VPN and set it to America
Download a VPN app from the App Store and set its location to the United States.
In the app’s settings, turn on the option that keeps it always connected. If the VPN drops without you noticing, TikTok sees your real country.
Most VPNs give thousands of people the same address. TikTok notices that.
If your VPN offers a “dedicated IP” add-on, it gives you an address nobody else is using. It costs a few dollars more and it’s worth it.
Install TikTok and log in
Download TikTok on this phone only. Then log in with the account details we sent you in your ticket.
From here, go and follow the Account Setup guide — the internet check, the warm-up, all of it.
Start making a post, but don’t publish it. On the screen where you’d type a caption, look at the location tags.
You should see American cities. If you see cities from your own country, something isn’t right — check your VPN is on and the SIM is in properly before you post anything.
Things people ask
Do I have to activate the SIM card?
No. Put it in the phone and forget about it.
Can I use an eSIM instead?
We’d rather you didn’t. People have had problems with them. A normal plastic SIM is more reliable.
Do I need to pay for mobile data?
No. Your home wi-fi is fine.
Can I run more than one account on this phone?
Yes, up to 8. After that TikTok starts treating them as connected.
How do I actually get the money out?
TikTok only pays commissions directly to people with a US identity and US tax details. Without those, you use what’s called the 1% method: the brand sets your TikTok commission to 1%, then pays you your real commission directly. Most international creators work this way. There’s a full explanation in the Getting Verified guide.
What about getting the account verified?
Verifying needs a US address and a US Social Security Number. If you don’t have those, open a ticket before you try — see the Getting Verified guide.