You are trying to log into TikTok or verify your phone number, or reset your password — and every attempt produces the same result: “Maximum number of attempts reached. Try again later.”
Nothing is broken on TikTok’s end. This is a deliberate security mechanism that TikTok applies to rate-limit repeated login and verification attempts.
The side effect is that it also triggers for real users who are legitimately trying to access their own accounts!
How to Fix the “Maximum Number of Attempts Reached” Error on TikTok
Quick fix: To clear the “Maximum number of attempts reached” error on TikTok:
- Close the TikTok app completely and stop all login attempts.
- Turn off any VPN, private DNS, and ad blockers.
- Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data.
- Wait at least 1 to 3 hours without retrying.
- Open TikTok, tap “Need help logging in?”, then “Recover account“, and sign in with a one-time code via SMS or email instead of your password.
This resolves the block for most users. If it does not, the detailed fixes below cover every scenario, including what to do when the limit lasts up to 24 hours.
What does ‘maximum number of attempts reached’ mean on TikTok?
TikTok places a ceiling on how many times you can attempt specific actions within a set time window. The affected actions include:
- Entering your password to log in
- Requesting an SMS verification code
- Requesting an email verification code
- Submitting a new phone number for verification
- Attempting to change account security settings
Once you cross the attempt threshold for any of these, TikTok temporarily blocks you from retrying that specific action.
This is not an account ban. Your account is still active. TikTok blocks only the login or verification action that triggered the limit, not your access to TikTok itself.
What triggers the maximum attempts error?
The limit almost never triggers on its own. One or more of these behaviors usually pushes you over the threshold:
Repeated login attempts in a short window. Every failed password entry counts. Typing the wrong password five times in two minutes looks identical to a bot guessing credentials, so TikTok treats it the same way.
Spamming verification codes. SMS delivery can take a minute or more, especially internationally. Tapping “Resend code” three or four times while you wait does not speed anything up. It just burns through your attempt allowance.
Switching IP addresses mid-session. If your connection jumps between networks while you try to log in, TikTok sees login attempts for one account arriving from several different locations. That pattern raises the risk score and tightens the limit.
VPNs, private DNS, and ad blockers. These tools change or filter your network traffic in ways TikTok’s security systems flag as suspicious. A login attempt through a VPN gets stricter treatment than the same attempt from a clean mobile connection.
Many accounts on one device. When several TikTok accounts log in and out from the same phone, TikTok groups their activity together. The combined attempt count across all of them can hit the limit even if each individual account behaved normally. More on this below.
How long does the TikTok maximum attempts lockout last?
The lockout is temporary and scales with how aggressively you triggered it:
- A few failed attempts: typically 1 to 3 hours
- Heavy retrying or repeated code requests: up to 24 hours
- Continued attempts during the lockout: the timer can reset, which is why step one of the quick fix is to stop completely
There is no way to see the exact remaining time. The safest approach is to wait at least 3 hours before your next attempt, and a full 24 hours if you already retried during a previous block.
How to fix the TikTok maximum number of attempts reached error
Step-by-step.
Step 1: Stop all attempts
Every retry during an active block can extend it. Close the app fully (swipe it away from recent apps, do not just minimize it) and leave it alone. This is the single most important step, and the one most people skip.
Step 2: Turn off VPN, private DNS, and ad blockers
Go to your device settings and disable any VPN app, private DNS configuration, and system-wide ad blockers such as AdGuard. TikTok’s security systems treat filtered or rerouted traffic as higher risk. A clean, direct connection gives your next attempt the best chance of going through.
Step 3: Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data
Turning off Wi-Fi and using mobile data gives you a different IP address. This separates your next attempt from the network environment that TikTok already flagged. Do this once, before you retry, and then stay on that connection. Do not keep flipping between networks, because that recreates the IP-switching pattern that contributes to the block.
Step 4: Wait it out
Wait at least 1 to 3 hours. If you were retrying heavily, wait 24 hours. Set a reminder and do something else. Patience is genuinely the fix here.
Step 5: Use account recovery instead of your password
When the waiting period is over, open TikTok and tap “Need help logging in?” on the login screen, then choose “Recover account.” Sign in with a one-time code sent by SMS or email instead of entering your password. The recovery flow runs on a separate attempt counter, so it usually works even when the password path is still limited.
Step 6: Try Google or Apple sign-in
If your TikTok account is connected to Google or Apple, use that button on the login screen. These third-party authentication flows have their own attempt limits, which are much higher than TikTok’s native ones.
Step 7: Reset your password
If you suspect you simply do not remember the correct password, stop guessing. Use “Forgot password?” and reset it via email or SMS. One successful reset beats five failed guesses that extend your lockout.
Step 8: Contact TikTok support
If the error persists beyond 24 hours despite following all the steps above, report the problem from inside the app: Profile → Menu → Settings and privacy → Report a problem. Describe what you tried and when the error started. Support can review limits that did not clear automatically.
Getting the error on PC or in a browser?
The error is not limited to the mobile app. It also appears on tiktok.com, and there it often behaves differently: some users see it in one browser but not another, or even on their very first attempt.
- Switch browsers. If Chrome shows the error, try Edge, Firefox, or Safari. Users regularly report that the same account logs in fine in a different browser.
- Log in with a QR code. If you are already logged in on your phone, choose “Use QR code” on the desktop login screen and scan it with the TikTok app. This skips the password and verification flow entirely, so the attempt limit never applies.
- Clear TikTok cookies for that browser. Remove cookies and site data for tiktok.com, restart the browser, and try again.
- Update the TikTok app. If you can log in through the browser but not the app (or the other way around), an outdated app version may be the cause. Update TikTok in the App Store or Google Play, then retry.
How to avoid this error in the future
The maximum attempts error is almost entirely preventable once you know what triggers it:
- Request any verification code once, then wait at least 60 seconds before considering a second request — SMS delivery can be slow, especially internationally
- Use Google or Apple sign-in as your primary TikTok login method rather than phone number or email — these third-party authentication flows have their own attempt limits that are much higher than TikTok’s native limits
- Keep your email address and phone number current in TikTok’s security settings — having multiple recovery options means you are less likely to exhaust any single method
Warming up new TikTok accounts, avoid repeated login/logout cycles in a short period — fresh accounts with high verification request rates get flagged quickly.
Getting the error while creating a new account?
The attempt limit can also fire during sign-up, usually when the SMS code does not arrive and you request it again and again.
The workaround: sign up with your email address instead, confirm it, and add your phone number later in Settings.
With Multilogin, you can create and run multiple TikTok accounts without these errors. Each account gets its own cloud phone, a real Android device with its own identity and built-in proxy.
You get the same fully verified account, just without burning through SMS attempts on day one.
Getting this error across multiple TikTok accounts?
If you manage several TikTok accounts and you are hitting the maximum attempts error repeatedly — especially when moving between accounts quickly — the root cause may be that your accounts share a device and IP environment that TikTok is rate-limiting as a single unit.
When multiple accounts operate from the same phone, TikTok groups their login and verification activity together in its security monitoring. A burst of verification requests that would be unremarkable from genuinely separate devices gets flagged when it comes from one shared environment.
Multilogin Cloud Phones resolve this by giving each TikTok account its own isolated Android device with its own IP address and session history. Login attempts on one account are completely independent of all others. No shared rate limits, no cascading lockouts, no attempt errors that affect multiple accounts at once.
Run Unlimited Accounts Without Bans
Run your social media accounts on cloud phones & web browsers
Frequently asked questions About the TikTok maximum attempts error
No. It is a temporary rate-limiting error, not an account ban. Your account is still active. You are temporarily blocked from the specific login or verification action that triggered the limit.
Switch networks (from Wi-Fi to mobile data or vice versa) and attempt login using a completely different method — particularly ‘Continue with Google’ or ‘Continue with Apple’ if your account is linked to either. If that does not work, the 24-hour wait is the reliable resolution.
If the error persists after 24 hours, you may have continued attempting logins during the lockout window, resetting the timer repeatedly. At this point, contact TikTok support directly via the Help Center at support.tiktok.com.
No. The lockout applies only to the specific login or verification action that triggered it. If you can access your account through a different login method, all features — posting, viewing, messages — remain fully available.
Yes. Multiple accounts operating from the same device are rate-limited as a shared environment. If you manage more than two or three TikTok accounts, each account should have its own isolated device environment to prevent shared rate limits.
Conclusion
The TikTok “maximum number of attempts reached” error is a security throttle, not a ban. Too many verification requests or login attempts in too short a window almost always cause it, and you can prevent it entirely once you understand the triggers.
The immediate fixes: stop trying, turn off VPNs and blockers, switch networks once, wait, and use a different authentication method (especially Google or Apple sign-in if your account supports it). For multi-account operators, the long-term fix is proper account isolation, so that one account’s rate-limit activity can never affect any other.
