Understanding the TikTok Ban and Why You Cannot Download It
Understanding the TikTok Ban and Why You Cannot Download It
Introduction
This User Tip will address the current TikTok ban situation, why you cannot download it from the US App Store and what it means for the future of the app. I have seen lots of users posting in the Community asking why TikTok is not available for download, so I have created this User Tip to help clear up the confusion.
The Law Behind the Ban
During his first term as president, Trump led the effort to ban TikTok. On April 24, 2024, The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) which the U.S. Congress had previously passed was signed into law by Former President Biden. This law required that ByteDance Ltd., the parent company of TikTok, to divest its U.S. Operations from Chinese Government control by January 19, 2025 or face a nationwide ban.
On January 19, 2025, TikTok was officially banned from being available for download in the US. This required major tech companies such as Apple, to take the app off their App Stores.
On January 20, 2025, now President Trump changed his mind on the TikTok ban, delaying the enforcement of the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) for 75 days. However Apple and other major tech companies will continue to keep TikTok off their App Stores to comply with the law and avoid ruinous fines and potential legal liability, as the law imposing these fines has not been overturned. If Apple and these major tech companies were to illegally bring TikTok back for download, they could face a $5,000 fine per user. With 170 million US TikTok users, this could amount to a total fine of $850 billion.
Current Situation
As of now, TikTok remains unavailable for US App Store users. Users who had TikTok installed on their devices before the ban may still have access to the app, provided they did not delete it. However for users that did not have TikTok downloaded, we do not know if or when it will return for download. Either ByteDance must divest its U.S. operations from Chinese government control, or the law must be changed by U.S. Congress. In the meantime, you can still watch TikTok on the web.
You can also read Apple’s statement on this:
About availability of TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. apps in the United States - Apple Support
This is a complicated situation and I will continue to update this User Tip as it develops. If you have any feedback for my User Tip, please go ahead in the comments.
Last updated: 1/25/25, more suggestions implemented.