After expecting TikTok to go dark on Sunday, Jan. 19, following the Supreme Court’s upholding of a law effectively banning the app, social media users were shocked to see TikTok stop working hours earlier.
On Saturday night, TikTok users who attempted to access the platform received a message that said, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”
The message continued, “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!”
Although President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t officially take office until Inauguration Day on Monday, Jan. 20, it appears that the app is already up and working again.
Read on to find out if TikTok is back for good and what Trump has said about the ban.
Trump said he will ‘most likely’ give TikTok a 90-day extension
As TikTok’s original deadline approached, Trump, who initially tried to ban TikTok during his first term, spoke to NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker about possibly extending TikTok’s ability to operate in the U.S.
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” he said. “You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation.”
He added that if that happened, he would “probably announce it on Monday.”
The law banning TikTok required its parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to a non-Chinese buyer by Jan. 19.
The law allows for a 90-day deadline extension if the president can certify that there’s a path to divestiture, there’s “significant progress” toward executing it and there are “binding legal agreements to enable execution of such qualified divestiture during the period of such extension.”
TikTok ‘went dark’ for about 12 hours
On Jan. 18, TikTok temporarily stopped working for U.S. users.
When clicking on the app, they received a pop-up message that originally said, in part, “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!”
According to NBC News, the message later was shortened to read, “We’re working hard to resolve this issue. Thank you for your patience.”
Apple confirmed that it removed TikTok and other ByteDance apps from its app store.
“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said in a statement.
Hoping to work around the ban, some users attempted to access TikTok via a VPN, a virtual private network. But NBC News reported that VPNs failed to help users regain access.
Trump said he will issue an executive order to delay TikTok ban
After users shared on X, Instagram and more platforms that they could not access their TikTok feeds, Trump posted a message on Truth Social Sunday about his plans to keep the app running.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” he wrote. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
TikTok starts to restore service to the app
Sunday morning, the TikTok Policy account posted an update on X that confirmed the app would be up and running again for U.S. users.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” the company said. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
The company said it plans to work with the incoming president to establish a “long-term solution” for access to the app.
Some users, upon opening TikTok, received a new pop-up message after service was restored.
“Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!” the message states. “You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”
TikTok users celebrated and poked fun at the quick turnaround on X.
One posted a GIF of an “America’s Next Top Model” contestant briefly crying before instantly cheering up.
“Everybody in the U.S. who’s TikTok got restored” the X user captioned the post.
Another cheered, “ITS BACK TIKTOK IS BACK WE’RE SAVED.”
Can new users download TikTok?
NBC News reports that those who did not already have the app downloaded were not able to access it Sunday via the Apple or Android stores.
“Looking for TikTok? Downloads for this app are paused due to current US legal requirements,” a message in the Android app store reads.
Similarly, a message in the Apple app store states, “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in.”
What happens after the 90-day extension?
The extension would delay the implementation of the law banning TikTok by 90 days. But the law is still in effect, and ByteDance has shared no plans or interest in selling the app.
Trump seemingly outlined his plan for the app in his Truth Social post, stating, “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.” He added, “By doing this, we save TikTok.”
NBC News reached out to Trump’s transition team to clarify if his plan would give ownership to a U.S.-based company or the government.
NBC News also notes that the current bipartisan law that led to the ban, titled the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, requires the company to sell the app and have a 20% cap for “foreign adversary” owners.
Who could buy TikTok?
Artificial intelligence company Perplexity AI threw its hat in the ring as a potential lifeline for TikTok, CNBC reported Jan. 18.