How to use TikTok for DMs only on iPhone, without the For You feed (2026)
TikTok opens straight onto the For You feed, and there is no setting that turns it into a messages-only app. iPhone Screen Time can limit TikTok, but that blocks your messages too. If friends send you messages on TikTok and you want to keep those without the feed, use an app that opens TikTok with everything except messages hidden.
This page is written by the developer of minulo. Menu names can change with app and iOS updates.
Steps with minulo
- Install minulo from the App Store.
- Open TikTok inside minulo and log in on TikTok's own login page. minulo does not receive or store your password.
- In minulo's settings for TikTok, turn on Every tab but DMs. The For You feed and the other tabs are hidden; messages stay.
- Optional: let minulo lock the official TikTok app with Screen Time, so tapping the TikTok icon shows a block screen with an Open in minulo button instead of the feed.
Hiding For You is free. Instagram has the same "Every tab but DMs" setting.
Does TikTok have a messages-only mode?
Not that we could find. TikTok has a Following tab, but the app still opens on For You. minulo hides For You and can show only your messages.
Will my friends still be able to message me?
Yes. Messages keep working in minulo; only the feeds are hidden.
Can I do the same for Instagram?
Yes. Instagram has the same "Every tab but DMs" setting in minulo.
