Apple and Google have reinstated TikTok in their U.S. app stores after a nearly month-long removal prompted by national security concerns. This decision also applies to other apps owned by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, including the video editor CapCut and the social media platform Lemon8.
Former President Joe Biden enacted a law last year requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity by January 19, 2025. Failure to comply would have resulted in significant penalties for app store operators. The law faced challenges, but the Supreme Court upheld it on January 17.
Current President Donald Trump issued an executive order shortly after taking office, delaying the ban and granting ByteDance an additional 75 days to find a buyer. This move led to TikTok restoring services in the U.S.
Despite the restoration of services by providers like Oracle, confusion over potential penalties kept TikTok out of the app stores until now. Users who had uninstalled the app were previously unable to reinstall it, while those who retained it could continue using it.
In the wake of the uncertainty surrounding TikTok, rival platforms such as X and Bluesky have launched vertical video features, and Meta has introduced a competing video editing app. According to analytics firm Sensor Tower, TikTok was the second most downloaded app in the U.S. last year, with 52 million downloads.
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