TikTok Still Unavailable for Download on App Stores Despite Trump’s Executive Order: What to Know
While TikTok users have resumed accessing the platform after a brief weekend shutdown, the app remains unavailable for new downloads on Apple and Google app stores in the United States. This situation persists despite an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump delaying the enforcement of a ban on the app.
Existing users of TikTok were able to continue using the app for an hour on Sunday after a pop-up message denied users access to the app. However, for at least 12 hours, this pop-up continued to be visible. Service returned, and then the message went away as well, returning the app based on the efforts of President-elect Trump.
For new users, or users who deleted the app, they can’t download the app currently.
The TikTok ban stems from a U.S. law requiring its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. assets due to national security concerns. ByteDance was mandated to remove TikTok from app stores if the sale deadline was not met. In response, the company decided to temporarily shut down the app entirely.
Android users searching for TikTok on Google Play are met with an unclickable icon of the app and a message:
> “Downloads for this app are paused due to current U.S. legal requirements.”
iPhone users find a notice stating:
> “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in.”
A link redirects users to a support page explaining the unavailability due to U.S. laws effective as of January 19.
Analysts suggest that Google and Apple may be awaiting additional legal protections before bypassing the ban. Distributing the app could expose these companies to penalties under current U.S. regulations.
TikTok has assured users it is working to restore service after receiving assurances from Trump that penalties would not be imposed.
Concerns about TikTok’s data collection and content manipulation capabilities triggered bipartisan legislation in April 2020. Then-President Joe Biden signed the bill into law. Trump’s executive order further extended the enforcement of the ban by 75 days to allow time for a U.S. buyer to acquire TikTok’s assets.
Several bidders have shown interest in buying TikTok’s U.S. assets. Trump dropped hints that he might be okay with Elon Musk or Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison taking over. Oracle, the software giant, already houses most of TikTok’s servers.
As negotiations continue and legal complexities are addressed, TikTok’s availability in U.S. app stores remains uncertain. For now, the platform is accessible only to those who had previously downloaded it.
Stay tuned for updates as the situation evolves.
