Longtime TikTok users have resumed using the popular social media app following a brief shutdown Sunday, but it still remains unavailable for new users to download.
Users who already had the app downloaded on their phones could jump back on the short-video platform following a brief period during the weekend when TikTok went dark. But as of Wednesday morning, TikTok could still not be downloaded from the Apple and Google app stores in the United States, even after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to delay enforcing a ban.
The ban, which was due to go into effect Sunday, stems from a law that requires TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. assets in order to continue operating in the United States. 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 made the decision to shutdown the app entirely.
For about 12 hours, users who tried to access the platform found a pop-up message that restricted their access. Then on Sunday, TikTok welcomed them back with a message crediting Trump, then the president-elect, for the app’s return.
But for those who deleted TikTok or who want to join the platform for the first time, it appears they may have to wait. Here’s what we know:
TikTok:Donald Trump open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison buying TikTok
What happens if you search for TikTok in the Google store?
Android users who search for TikTok in the Google Play Store are greeted with an unclickable icon of the app logo along with a query: “Looking for TikTok?”
Underneath is a message reading, “Downloads for this app are paused due to current U.S. legal requirements.”
What happens if you search TikTok in the Apple store?
Those with iPhones who search for TikTok will see a notice reading, “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in.”
A prompt to “learn more” takes users to a support page with additional information about the availability of TikTok and other apps owned by ByteDance in the United States.
“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the message reads, citing the law that went into effect Jan. 19.
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Why TikTok may not be available again in app stores
Google and Apple may be awaiting additional protections before bypassing the ban, which could levy punishments against companies for distributing the app, according to analysts, per a report from Reuters.
TikTok abruptly shut down in the U.S. during the weekend, only to say it was working to restore service after receiving assurances from Trump that the company and its partners would not face penalties.
When and why was TikTok banned? What is Trump’s order?
Congress passed a bipartisan law in April that then-President Joe Biden signed into law over national security concerns that TikTok allows China to gather data on Americans or manipulate content that people see. Trump’s executive order, the legality of which is unclear, would extend enforcement of a ban on the app in the U.S. by another 75 days.
Trump signaled that the extension gives more time to find a buyer for the app’s U.S. assets. Plenty of suitors have emerged as potential buyers, with Trump even indicating Tuesday he was open to billionaire Elon Musk buying the app.
The president said he’s also open to Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, acquiring TikTok. Oracle, a software company, houses most of TikTok’s servers.
Contributing: Rebecca Morin, Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY; Reuters
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
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