Apple and Google have reinstated TikTok on their app stores in the United States, nearly a month after removing the short video platform due to a national security law banning its operations.
The tech giants also restored other apps owned by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, including the video editor CapCut and social media platform Lemon8, which were earlier removed to comply with the legal restrictions.
The ban stemmed from longstanding national security concerns over ByteDance’s Chinese ownership. Former U.S. President Joe Biden had signed a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity by January 19, 2025, or face a complete ban. Despite legal appeals from ByteDance, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law on January 17, prompting Apple and Google to remove the app from their stores to avoid financial penalties.
However, shortly after assuming office on January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order delaying the ban, granting ByteDance an additional 75 days to find a buyer. While TikTok promptly resumed services in the U.S., Apple and Google initially hesitated to restore it due to uncertainty over legal implications. This left U.S. users unable to reinstall the app if they had previously uninstalled it, though existing users could still access it.
Trump has since proposed an alternative to the ban, suggesting the U.S. could acquire a 50% stake in TikTok through a joint venture with major tech firms. He also signed an order creating a sovereign wealth fund that could potentially finance the acquisition. Oracle and Microsoft are among the companies reportedly interested in purchasing TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Meanwhile, rival social media platforms have sought to capitalize on the uncertainty surrounding TikTok. X and Bluesky introduced vertical video feeds, while Meta launched a new video editing app to compete with CapCut. Despite the challenges, TikTok remained the second most downloaded app in the U.S. last year, with 52 million downloads, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower.