Apple and Google have reinstated TikTok on their respective app stores in the U.S., nearly a month after removing the popular short-video app to comply with a national security law that sought to ban it. The restoration follows a letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to Apple, clarifying that the ban would not be immediately enforced, as reported by Bloomberg.
In addition to TikTok, Apple and Google have also restored other apps owned by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, including the video editor CapCut and the social media app Lemon8. These apps had also been removed to comply with the same law.
The ban stemmed from longstanding national security concerns regarding ByteDance’s Chinese origins. Former U.S. President Joe Biden signed a law last year requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. The law threatened severe financial penalties for app store operators that failed to comply. Despite ByteDance’s appeals, the Supreme Court upheld the law on January 17.
However, shortly after taking office, current U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 20, delaying the ban and granting ByteDance a 75-day extension to find a buyer for its U.S. operations. This move allowed TikTok to resume services in the country, with providers like Oracle restoring their support for the app. However, Apple and Google kept TikTok out of their U.S. app stores due to lingering uncertainty about potential penalties, as the ban had only been deferred, not overturned.
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During the temporary removal, U.S. users who had uninstalled TikTok were unable to reinstall it, while those who retained the app could continue using it.
Since then, President Trump has proposed an alternative to the ban, suggesting that the U.S. could acquire a 50% stake in TikTok through a joint venture with other tech companies. He also floated the idea of using a newly proposed sovereign wealth fund to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations. Companies like Oracle and Microsoft are reportedly potential buyers.
Meanwhile, rival social networks have attempted to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain situation. Platforms like X and Bluesky introduced dedicated vertical video feeds, while Meta announced a new video editing app to compete with CapCut.
According to data from analytics firm Sensor Tower, TikTok was the second most downloaded app in the U.S. last year, with 52 million downloads, underscoring its immense popularity despite regulatory challenges.
