TikTok has ceased functioning in the United States and was removed from both the Apple and Google app stores just before a federal ban on the Chinese-owned short-video app was set to take effect.
The app was taken down from major app stores, including those by Apple and Google, on Saturday evening. The TikTok website informed users that the platform was no longer accessible.
When users attempted to open the app on Saturday, a pop-up message appeared stating, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” preventing them from browsing videos.
A message on TikTok’s website read, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” explaining that the app was no longer available for use. It continued, “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
The company also reassured users, saying, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” referring to President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to “save” the platform. Users were encouraged to stay tuned for updates.
Prior to this announcement, TikTok had informed users that the service would be “temporarily unavailable” and that efforts were underway to restore it in the U.S. as soon as possible. However, the timeline for how long the platform would be inaccessible remained uncertain.
In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, President-elect Trump suggested he was considering granting TikTok a 90-day extension, allowing the app to continue operations. If such an extension were granted, Trump, who previously supported a TikTok ban, stated that it would “probably” be announced on Monday, the day he is inaugurated as president. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration, seated in a prime location.
In 2024, President Biden signed the law that instated the current ban, which gave TikTok’s owners until Sunday to either shut down or sell to a buyer not considered a “foreign adversary of the United States.”
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., introduced the original bill, which passed with veto-proof majorities, earning support from both Democrats and Republicans.
In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials voiced concerns about TikTok, citing national security risks due to its ownership by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company based in Beijing. This company also operates popular video editing apps CapCut and Lemon8, both of which were also unavailable as of Saturday evening.
