The prodigal son returns—TikTok is back on U.S. app stores for both iOS and Android users. The TikTok app ban was reversed only a day after the app was faced with restrictions in the country, but both app store owners were uncertain if they were allowed to bring the app back to their platforms without repercussions.

It was unclear if the reversal of the ban was expected to be a temporary decision as there was no evidence to suggest that TikTok would be able to meet the criteria that were set for it to remain operational in the U.S. However, from the looks of it, the app is getting more comfortable with the idea of staying. Users who had deleted the app can now download it once more.

is TikTok back on the app store

Image: Freepik

Are You Celebrating TikTok’s Return to the U.S. App Stores?

Is TikTok back on the app stores in the U.S.? Yes! Is its return permanent? Unclear. Users who already had the apps on their phones despite the January 19 ban could continue to use it immediately, but those who had deleted it had no way to access it again as the TikTok app had been removed from the Apple App Store, and Google Play Store as well. 

Even though the TikTok app ban was reversed last month, for almost three weeks ever since, the app has remained unavailable in the stores. Apple and Google have both restored TikTok—and CapCut, another ByteDance app—to its former glory. Analysts suggest that the two companies were waiting for confirmation from the presidential powers that they would not be penalized for allowing the apps to return, as the details around the TikTok app ban reversal have been flimsy and unclear at best. 

According to Bloomberg, TikTok was reinstated in the App Store and Play Store after US Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter reassuring Apple that it would not be fined for bringing the app back to the market. This is likely why we’ve seen the app make a more solid return. 

Why Was TikTok Missing From the App Stores in the First Place?

Popular social networking and video-sharing platform TikTok was banned for a day in the U.S. on January 19, as the Chinese parent company ByteDance was unwilling to conform to the regulations of selling the service to a U.S. owner. ByteDance had appealed for an extension to the deadline, but with no evidence that it was growing any closer to selling to a local buyer, the January 19 deadline was upheld.

Even before the app was officially taken down, rumors had suggested that the incoming presidency would save the app in the region, despite originally bringing up the idea of restricting the app in the U.S. back in 2020. 

Regardless, nothing could be done to prevent the ban before the deadline. The app went down for less than a day, but when the new president took up the reins, the deadline for the ban was extended by 75 days. The app remained missing from the app store ever since, as the tech giants were unsure if they were allowed to bring it back during the deadline extension period. 

National security concerns were the prime reason TikTok was targeted in the first place but if ByteDance agrees to step away from the business, the app may still make a full return under a new owner.

TikTok Has Been Reinstated in the App Stores—What’s Next?

TikTok’s return to the U.S. app stores of Apple and Google marks a big win for users, but the fate of the app remains shrouded in mystery. Even now, there is no new information on how ByteDance’s negotiations with the U.S. government are progressing and if it is finally considering handing its company over to the U.S. 

While ByteDance was full of praise for the president’s decision to enforce a stay on the ban, it has also been reluctant to sell off its widely successful business and the robust algorithms that run it, to another company or businessman. The social media platform had over 52 million downloads in 2024, as per Sensor Tower, with 52% of these downloads from the Apple App Store and the other 48% from the Google Play Store. 

Multiple interested buyers like Frank McCourt and Kevin O’Leary are currently looking into purchasing TikTok, with the app valued at as much as $50 billion. Even YouTuber MrBeast has joined the bidding to purchase TikTok, but it is unclear if he has a real shot at purchasing the app. The app’s future could be decided sometime in February, but TikTok still has some time before we draw close to the end of the deadline extension period.

Will Users Return to TikTok?

As Apple and Google restore TikTok, there could be a flood of users who return to the app and its much-loved features, but some have also become wary of the app’s revival and how much control the government is now set to have on it. Users flocked to other platforms like RedNote in the days leading up to the ban, and many had promised never to return to the app even if it did come back. 

TikTok may witness a drop in its popularity within the U.S. henceforth, but for now, it remains unlikely as many have been celebrating the app’s return. Some had even gone to great extremes by using VPNs and other strategies to access the app while it was unavailable in-store, so the demand for TikTok persists even today. 

Are you excited to see TikTok return to the U.S. App Store and Play Store?

TikTok may have returned to the US Apple App Store and Google Play Store, but its presence may be temporary. If you want to see how the story plays out or keep track of other ongoing events in the tech world, subscribe to Technowize for all your news and reviews.

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