TikTok is back: the app is available again on the App Store and Google Play in the US
TikTok is now available for download again on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the US after being temporarily blocked. The app was removed from the stores on 19 January 2025 due to a short-term ban at the national level.
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However, after President Donald Trump announced that the restrictions would not be enforced, access to the service was quickly restored. However, TikTok remained unavailable for new downloads in the US until now.
According to Bloomberg, Apple changed its decision after receiving a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Prior to that, Trump ordered the Department of Justice to postpone the ban for 75 days, which allowed the service to continue operating. Google also returned TikTok to the Play Store after the Department of Justice assured the company that it would not violate the law. Before that, Android users could only install TikTok by downloading the APK file from third-party resources.
The future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain. Trump is pushing for a deal that would allow the company to operate in the country, with the possibility of transferring a stake in TikTok to the US government. Several investors and companies have already offered to buy out part of TikTok's business, but the company has not yet said which offers it is considering seriously.
The executive order does not change the essence of the law, which was passed by Congress and upheld by the US Supreme Court. Trump is trying to circumvent the new law, which came into force on 19 January 2025. It provides for large fines for companies that continue to cooperate with TikTok.
Source: Bloomberg
