TikTok is back: the briefly 'banned' app has been restored to 170 million US users
'Welcome back' says the app after a 13-hour ban in the United States
🧟♂️ TikTok back in the US after going dark about 13 hours ago
🚫 This will apply to all ByteDance apps caught up in the TikTok ban
🎮 Popular game Marvel Snap & editing tool CapCut were also down
🍎 Apple and Google have pulled 11 total apps from their digital stores
😅 ByteDance has pinned its hopes on the incoming Trump administration
TikTok ban update: a new “Welcome back” pop-up message will greet you the next time you open up the TikTok app.
The TikTok ban in the US will be short-lived, according to ByteDance, as the Chinese company said that it’s “in the process of restoring service. The official statement from TikTok Policy on X is below:
In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.
It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.
The statement makes it clear that app stores, like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, won’t be fined for distributing TikTok and other ByteDance-owned apps. It also cites “the First Amendment,” although the US Supreme Court struck down that argument last week since no particular speech was banned.
It was more than just TikTok banned
We already reported on the TikTok ban last night, but there’s an update as the US ban is far more reaching than anyone first realized. It extends to several other apps.
There are (or were) 11 ByteDance apps caught up in the TikTok ban, including the popular card game Marvel Snap and what is maybe the best mobile video editing tool, CapCut. Here are the apps banned in the United States, according to Apple.
TikTok
TikTok Studio
TikTok Shop Seller Center
CapCut
Lemon8
Hypic
Lark - Team Collaboration
Lark - Rooms Display
Lark Rooms Controller
Gauth: AI Study Companion
Marvel Snap
It was no surprise that TikTok-branded creation tools, including TikTok Studio and TikTok Shop Seller Center, were caught up in the ban. Lemon8, a TikTok alternative that exploded in popularity in recent weeks when the US ban was nearing, is also down. It looks like it wasn’t a safe haven for users after all.
Surprise apps caught up in the TikTok ban
Many users said they were caught off-guard that the video editing app CapCut would also be included in the TikTok ban. This is a boon for Apple’s Final Cut Pro for iPad and other apps that compete in this space, as CapCut dominated among influencers.
The biggest surprise to come out of the TikTok ban is the licensed digital card game Marvel Snap going dark. Launched two years ago, Marvel Snap had thousands of daily users collecting and battling through comic-book-filled tournaments.
We’re following updates on TikTok being restored in the US…