TikTok Is Back on App Stores
TikTok is officially back. The app reappeared on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store late Thursday night, complete with all the reviews and download counts from before it was removed.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported the story first. Apple and Google both removed TikTok from app stores back in January, as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act threatens any company that distributes, maintains, or updates the app with stiff financial penalties.
Despite leading the cause to ban TikTok during his first administration, President Trump signed an executive order last month instructing the Justice Department to not enforce the law for 75 days. On Thursday, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi sent Apple and Google letters assuring them this was still the case. Following this confirmation, TikTok returned.
Just because you can now download TikTok again on your iPhone or Android device, however, doesn't mean the ban is over. The law still stands, and the ban is currently in effect—even if the current Justice Department isn't enforcing it. The government will need to figure out a plan from here on out. It isn't even clear if Trump has the power to delay enforcement of the ban, but here we are. That delay is set to end in April, at which time we will once again see whether the government acts, or continues to kick the can down the road.
The original intention of the law was to force ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell to an American company. There have been many contenders in this space: Microsoft and Oracle are among the organizations floated to take on the purchase, and reports even indicated China was considering selling to Elon Musk himself. Trump has signaled the U.S. could outright buy TikTok, via a sovereign wealth fund he has directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to plan.
Whatever happens in the future, the fact remains that after a tumultuous four weeks, TikTok is officially available to download on app stores in the U.S.—no need to resort to alternative means.