TikTok is back on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. What to know following halted nationwide ban on app
This story has been updated with new developments.
As of Thursday, Tik-Tok is once again available for download on both the App Store and Google Play Store following a brief, nationwide ban.
The app, though accessible to users who had already downloaded, hadn't been available for download on either platform. Previously, Android users were able to access the app directly from the TikTok website.
The widely-popular and politicized app went dark for less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok in the U.S. over national security concerns. The app was later restored after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the ban on the app for 75 days.
"We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive," wrote TikTok in a post to X. "It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship."
"We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States."
Why was TikTok not available for download?
TikTok was banned in the U.S. due to national security concerns, specifically its Chinese-owned company ByteDance. In the spring of 2024, former President Joe Biden signed legislation giving ByteDance until Jan. 19, 2025 to divest TikTok.
ByteDance failed to do so and on Jan. 18, TikTok became temporarily unusable in the U.S. The platform was wiped from the Apple App and Google Play stores.
What happened when users searched for TikTok on the App Store?
Previous searches for TikTok on the App Store led to a notice which read, "TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region or you're in." By selecting a "learn more" prompt, users were then taken to a support page with additional information.
"Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates," the message read, citing the law that went into effect Jan. 19.
The law requires TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. assets in order to continue operating in the U.S. While the law only mandated that ByteDance remove TikTok from app stores in the U.S. if it failed to meet the sale deadline, company executives decided to shut down the app entirely.
What is the future of TikTok? Trump teases at potential purchase
The extension of the TikTok ban ends on April 5, 75 days from when Trump enacted it on Jan. 20. Although the future of the app in the United States remains unclear, it could be purchased as part of the country's first sovereign wealth fund, reported Paste BN.
On Feb. 3, Trump signed an executive order to create the nation's first sovereign wealth fund which is predicted to be operational within the next year, according to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Though Trump did not explicitly indicate what the fund will be used for, he cited purchasing TikTok as one example.
"We're going to be doing something, perhaps with TikTok and perhaps not, if we make the right deal," Trump told reporters. "But I have the right to do that and we might put that in the sovereign wealth fund."
Contributing: Paste BN
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana