TikTok and all other apps owned by its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., including CapCut and Marvel Snap, are no longer available in the United States. The apps’ unavailability from Apple and Google Play stores and on the web follows the start of the ban-or-divest law, which took effect on January 19, 2025.
In the United States, users who open the app have seen a notification on the screen. It reads:
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
Hours earlier, users saw a different message about the shutdown:
“We regret that a US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We’re working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.”
The closure of TikTok means around 170 million Americans will no longer have access to the app. This is an unprecedented decision for a social network platform as huge as TikTok. In April, the Biden administration signed the TikTok ban bill into law, giving BytyeDance nine months to find a solution. TikTok sued the US government, calling the ban “unconstitutional”, but the Supreme upheld the decision.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is refusing to divest and is hoping to find a solution with President-elect Donald Trump when he takes office for the second time on Monday. Trump has mentioned giving TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban to find a solution to get the app working again in the US.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
With President-elect Donald Trump willing to work with ByteDance on a solution, it may not take long before TikTok is live again for 170 million Americans.
