TikTok is once again available for download on the Apple App Store! This marks its return nearly a month after being removed due to U.S. national security concerns. Apple had pulled the app on January 18, just before the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act went into effect.
The law, signed in April 2024, requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban.
Despite ByteDance challenging the law in court, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the government’s authority to enforce it, citing national security concerns over TikTok’s data collection practices and ties to China.
However, on his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement by 75 days, giving ByteDance more time to negotiate a sale.
Although Trump’s executive order temporarily lifted the ban, Apple and Google initially kept TikTok off their platforms. According to analysts, the companies were likely waiting for assurances that they would not face penalties for reinstating the app.
Those guarantees eventually came, leading to TikTok’s reappearance on the App Store and Google Play on February 13.
With 170 million U.S. users, TikTok remains one of the most popular social media platforms in the country. However, uncertainty lingers. The April 5 deadline for ByteDance to divest remains in place unless further action is taken.
Trump has also hinted at a joint venture allowing the U.S. to hold a 50% ownership stake in TikTok, though no concrete deal has been made.
While TikTok’s future remains uncertain, its temporary removal opened the door for potential competitors. Rednote, another Chinese-owned social media platform, took the US market by storm. However, the hype around it is expected to settle down now that TikTok is back in the Apple Store.
For now, TikTok is back, but whether it stays depends on political negotiations and ByteDance’s next move.