TikTok says it’s bringing the service back to the US

It hasn’t even been a full day since ByteDance shut down TikTok in the US, and now it says the app is coming back. In a statement sent to X on Sunday afternoon, TikTok wrote, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”

The statement also credited Trump, who will be sworn in on Monday and has previously said he was considering giving TikTok an extension amid reports of potential bidders (although ByteDance has expressed no interest in selling). “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” TikTok said.

At the time of writing this, the TikTok app is working again for me despite showing the message “I can’t use TikTok right now.” Phew, how sad – checks the clock – 12 hours without it. TikTok doesn’t currently appear to be back on the App Store or Google Play Store, though, so if you’ve deleted the app from your phone, you’ll have to wait a while to get it back. CapCut, one of the ByteDance-owned apps affected by the ban, is also unavailable.

While the TikTok ban was supposed to go into effect today, January 19, the outgoing administration has indicated that it will not implement it during Biden’s final hours as president. MSNBC It was reported on Saturday that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s threat a “stunt,” saying “we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before President Trump takes office on Monday.” But TikTok insists it cannot stay online without assurances that service providers will not be penalized.

Trump chimed in Sunday morning, writing on Truth Social, “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the time before the ban goes into effect, so that we can make an agreement to protect our national security. This order will also ensure that there will be no liability to any company that helps TikTok not go black before my order. “

He also revealed a vague plan of what he thinks about the future of TikTok in the US. “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in the joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and let it speak [sic] up. Without American consent, there is no Tik Tok.”

In accordance with NPRBobby Allyn, who spoke to a person close to the matter, said Trump’s statement was enough to convince TikTok’s web providers Oracle and Akamai to restore the service. But Apple and Google “still haven’t agreed to TikTok’s return,” Allyn reported. Providers who don’t comply with the TikTok ban are threatened with billions of dollars in fines, so it’s no surprise that we haven’t seen TikTok on the App Store or Google Play Store yet. Apple has already said in its decision to pull TikTok and other ByteDance apps that it is “obliged to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates.”

I hope you are not done with the back and forth of this situation because it is not over yet.

Update, January 19 2025, 5:20PM ET: This story has been updated to add more information from NPR to providers who have returned the service to TikTok.