TikTok Back in US Apple and Google App Stores After Ban Delay

TikTok is back in the U.S. app stores of Apple and Google. After uncertainties related to a ban of the social media app in the U.S., President Donald Trump confirmed that tech companies won’t be punished for delivering or maintaining it — at least for now.

According to Trump’s directive, digital marketplaces won’t be penalized for allowing the app to be used, downloaded, or updated. TikTok was quick to get the word out to its users.

“The TikTok app is now available for download from the App Store and Google Play,” the platform wrote. “Our U.S. users can download the latest version of our app and continue to create, discover, and share what they love on TikTok.”

TikTok Ban Delayed

Jan. 19, the day before President Trump was inaugurated, TikTok-owner ByteDance disabled the app in the U.S., leaving both creators and users in the dark. Up until that date, the only way for ByteDance to avoid being blacklisted was to sell the app to a U.S.-based buyer.

Yet, the very next day as Trump took control of the Oval Office, an executive order was signed that delayed the ban for 75 days. With the enforcement of the ban suspended, TikTok came back online for American users.

However, the app was only turned on for users who already had it downloaded on their phones. New users searching for the app in either Google or Apple app stores found it unavailable.

As of Feb. 13, the app is again available. It’s possible Google and Apple were holding off returning the app until some clarification was provided about potential penalties.

While a TikTok ban still looms, the deadline for its ultimate removal may be extended. Of course, an American investor could also offer the right deal, and ByteDance might just sell the U.S. segment of the platform, thereby avoiding the ban altogether.

A month ago, ByteDance board member Bill Ford said a deal to save the app will likely happen soon, noting that a purchase of the app is in the best interest of everyone involved. Should such a sale happen, it should be business as usual for TikTok’s more than 170 million U.S. users.