As TikTok awaits the arrival of the Trump administration and an expected 90-day break from a ban, users who had already downloaded the app have returned to the platform.
The video-sharing app went dark on Saturday, then TikTok returned online on Sunday after being offline for about 12 hours.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” the TikTok Policy X account posted shortly after noon ET on Sunday. “We thank President Trump for the certainty and clarity we need for our service providers that they will not face any penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over seven million small businesses to thrive. It is a strong position for The First Amendment and against arbitrariness. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
Is TikTok back?
For users who had already downloaded the app, access was restored on Sunday afternoon.
However, the TikTok app remains unavailable on the Apple and Google app stores. So some people who deleted the app on their smartphones when the ban began on Saturday are missing out on getting it back.
Users took to the app to celebrate its return on Sunday. Among those posting videos were the NBA’s Utah Jazz, featuring Lauri Markkanen and his smartphone, and the University of Georgia football program.
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Why did the US government want to ban TikTok?
In April 2024, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed a ban on TikTok, a popular video-sharing app used by 170 million Americans. The legislation addressed concerns that the app and its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance posed a serious threat to national security. To stay in business in the U.S., TikTok would have to divest its U.S. operation, the bill required.
After the Supreme Court rejected ByteDance’s argument that a ban on the app infringes on users’ free speech, TikTok said on Friday it would be “forced to go dark” on Sunday.
When did TikTok shut down?
The company actually shut down the app on Saturday night hours before the legislation banning the app went into effect.
TikTok users who tried to access the platform in web browsers and through the mobile app found a pop-up message restricting their access.
The Biden administration has said it has no plans to enforce the ban, and Trump has said he would look for a way to keep TikTok afloat, possibly including finding a buyer or someone to run TikTok’s US operations.
So is TikTok really banned in the US?
A law effectively banning the TikTok app in the US has gone into effect. App stores have removed the app, but TikTok won’t delete it from devices it’s installed on.
Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he expects to “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a possible ban after he takes office on Monday. That would give the Trump administration time to find a solution.
“The 90-day extension is something that will most likely be done because it’s convenient. You know, it’s convenient,” Trump said in a phone interview Saturday with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker. We have to watch it carefully. It is a very big situation”.
In anticipation of Trump’s inauguration on Monday, TikTok began restoring service on Sunday to current TikTok users.
When users opened the app, they found a note saying, “Welcome back! Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US!”
And some users have been able to access TikTok in a web browser.
What’s next for TikTok in the US?
As a way to comply with the ban legislation — with the Chinese-owned app shedding its U.S. operations — Trump on Sunday night proposed that the U.S. own half of the domestic operation.
“I will approve it, but let the United States of America own 50% of TikTok,” Trump said at a rally in Washington, DC, on the eve of the inauguration. “We will have multiple bidders. The United States will do what we call joint ventures.”
The Chinese government seems open to a deal. China’s Foreign Ministry said at a regular news briefing on Monday that it believed companies should “independently decide” on their operations and deals, Reuters reported.
“TikTok has operated in the US for many years and is well-loved by American users,” ministry spokesman Mao Ning said. “We hope that the US can diligently listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for firms operating there.”
Contributed by: Francesca Chambers, Greta Cross, Jessica Guynn, Savannah Kuchar, Bailey Schulz and Felecia Wellington Radel of USA TODAY; Reuters.
Follow Mike Snider on Threads, Bluesky and X: mikegsnider &@mikegsnider.bsky.social &@mikesnider.
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