TikTok Returns to Apple and Google App Stores in the US
On February 14th, news broke that TikTok, the short - video social platform, announced on its official website that the TikTok app is now available for download from the US Apple App Store and Google Play. US users can download the latest version and continue to create, discover, and share content on the platform. This means that after a brief delisting, TikTok has returned to the mainstream US app stores.
Previously, on the evening of January 18th, local time, TikTok informed US users that due to an official US ban taking effect on the 19th, the software would temporarily suspend services. At that time, TikTok was delisted from the US Apple Store and Google Play, and the US - region website could no longer display video content. This ban originated from the "Sell - or - Ban" bill signed by then - President Joe Biden in April 2024. The bill required ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to sell TikTok to non - Chinese enterprises within 270 days; otherwise, TikTok would be banned in the US after January 19th, 2025.
However, just as the ban was about to take effect, the attitude of the US government changed. According to a report by Bloomberg, on January 20th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75 - day grace period for the "Sell - or - Ban" law. Trump stated in the executive order that he plans to discuss solutions to the TikTok issue with the heads of relevant US government departments. This decision made it possible for TikTok to be re - listed. During the grace period of the ban, TikTok actively communicated with the US government and made efforts to meet relevant requirements. After the efforts of multiple parties, on the evening of February 13th, local time, TikTok returned to the US Apple and Google app stores.
For TikTok, this re - listing is of great significance. With over 170 million users in the US, regaining the support of app stores helps maintain user activity and business operations. However, the "Sell - or - Ban" bill left by the Biden administration has not been substantially resolved, and TikTok still faces many challenges in the future.