Joe Hindy / Android Authority
TL;DR
- TikTok went offline for US users late Saturday, just before a federal law banning the app went into effect.
- Users who logged into the platform received a notification highlighting the ban, and the app became available on the Google and Apple app stores.
- US President-elect Donald Trump could give TikTok temporary respite after he takes office on Monday.
Following years of legal battles, TikTok finally shut down services in the US merely hours before a federal ban on the ByteDance-owned app was due to take effect. The app is no longer available on the Google and Apple app stores, but there may still be some hope for its revival.
Users logging into TikTok late on Saturday were greeted with the following notification:
“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 TokTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
According to Reuters, President-elect Donald Trump said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day extension after he takes office on Monday, which could temporarily revive the app. However, since the law banning TikTok forces the platform to cut ties with its China-based parent, the app’s fate seems sealed unless ByteDance manages to sell TikTok’s US operations to an American company within the 90-day period.
TikTok wasn’t the only app to go dark on Saturday. ByteDance-owned video editing app CapCut and lifestyle social app Lemon8 also went offline and were unavailable on app stores.
How things unfold for TikTok and other ByteDance apps after President Trump takes office on Monday remains to be seen. In the meantime, you can check out our favorite TikTok alternatives to continue your binge.
