Apple and Google Restore TikTok to U.S. App Stores

 Apple and Google Restore TikTok to U.S. App Stores

Following a temporary removal last month due to legal compliance, TikTok has returned to the U.S. app stores operated by Apple and Google.

Both tech giants confirmed Thursday evening that the app is once again available for download.

TikTok, owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance, was removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on January 18—just hours ahead of an impending U.S. ban on the platform.

For weeks, new users were unable to download the app, though those who already had it installed could continue using it. As of Thursday, it is back on both platforms.

Apple and Google declined to provide further details beyond confirming its reinstatement.

The ban stemmed from national security concerns and was tied to a law signed by President Joe Biden in April. The legislation required ByteDance to either divest TikTok to a non-Chinese entity or face a complete U.S. shutdown by January 19.

The Supreme Court upheld the law on January 17, clearing the way for the app’s removal.

As Biden’s presidency came to a close, his administration stated that enforcing the law would be left to the incoming Trump administration, which assumed office on January 20.

TikTok resumed operations in the U.S. on January 19 after briefly disabling access the night before. The company cited assurances from newly inaugurated President Donald Trump, who pledged to keep the platform operational. Trump had previously signaled his intent to issue an executive order "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,'' Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Following the app’s return, TikTok expressed gratitude toward Trump for "providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive." The company also stated that it would continue working with the White House to establish a long-term resolution.

TikTok’s Fate in the U.S. Remains Uncertain Amid Legal and Ownership Questions

The future of TikTok in the United States, along with the law governing its ownership, is still unresolved.

Before the January 19 announcement that the law would not yet be enforced, President Trump had considered invoking a clause that allows for a one-time 90-day extension. However, this extension could only be granted if the president certified to Congress that ''a path to executing a qualified divestiture has been identified'' and provided ''evidence of significant progress toward executing such qualified divestiture.''

Since no formal extension was issued, TikTok’s long-term presence in the U.S. remains uncertain as Trump likely works on securing a deal to keep it running.

Both Trump and Biden have shifted their positions on whether the Chinese-owned platform should continue operating in the U.S.

Trump was once a leading voice in efforts to prohibit the app.

TikTok ceases operations in the United States just hours before an impending ban.

''As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States,'' he declared to reporters in July 2020. ''I can do it with an executive order or that.''

On August 6, 2020, he signed an executive order aiming to block TikTok within 45 days, but the decision faced legal pushback. The company successfully obtained an injunction against the ban in late September. When Biden took office four months later, he overturned the order.

Biden also displayed shifting views on the issue, ultimately placing the responsibility back on Trump after signing the legislation that set the stage for the app’s potential ban.

The push to ban TikTok, which received bipartisan support, stemmed from concerns over its data collection practices and the possibility that its Chinese ownership posed a national security risk.