TikTok is making a comeback in the US after going offline momentarily as it complied with the new divest-or-ban law, which went into effect on January 19th.
However, there is a catch: Google and Apple have yet to restore TikTok – or any other ByteDance apps – to their app stores.
A quick search for TikTok on the App Store brings up a message saying, “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in.” Over on Google Play, users see: “Downloads for this app are paused due to current US legal requirements.”
In a statement, TikTok shared that it’s working to restore its service, thanking President-elect Donald Trump for providing “the necessary clarity and assurance” to its service providers that they won’t face penalties for reinstating the app.
Trump has made some vague promises to “save” TikTok, while the Biden administration has left the enforcement of the ban to its successors. Despite the assurances, none of the companies involved – Google, Apple, Oracle, or Akamai – have provided further details. For now, TikTok’s return appears to hinge on Trump’s mercurial word that supporting the app won’t result in legal trouble. Not everyone in the government is on board, however. Senator Tom Cotton, for example, praised app stores for removing ByteDance apps and warned that facilitating their return could lead to massive legal and financial consequences.
So, TikTok might be back – sort of. But what about ByteDance’s other apps, like the video editing tool CapCut, the social platform Lemon8, or the card game Marvel Snap? They’re still unavailable, with no clear timeline for their return. Even Marvel Snap’s developer, Second Dinner, seemed caught off guard. The studio posted on Twitter, “The outage is a surprise to us and wasn’t planned. MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere.”
Users attempting to open ByteDance apps in the US encounter a familiar message: they’ve been blocked due to US legal requirements. CapCut, for instance, displays a pop-up saying, “A law banning CapCut has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use CapCut for now. Rest assured, we’re working to restore our service in the US. Please stay tuned!”
The ban extends to other ByteDance tools like TikTok Shop Seller Center, Lark, and Gauth: AI Study Companion. Both app stores have put up notices explaining the apps’ unavailability, but users have no idea when – or if – they will return.
Interestingly, Instagram is grabbing the opportunity to close the gap. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently announced Edits, a new video editing tool that appears to be a direct competitor to CapCut. In a video announcement, Mosseri explained that Edits is more than just a video editor, offering a dedicated tab “for inspiration”, tools to organise creative ideas, a camera, and editing options. For those sharing videos on Instagram, there’s also a live insights dashboard and engagement metrics.
Mosseri didn’t explicitly say the app is targeting CapCut’s audience, but the timing feels deliberate. With ByteDance apps in limbo, Edits is set to launch on March 13th, 2025, and it’s already available for preorder on the iOS App Store.
As TikTok and its sibling apps navigate legal and operational hurdles, platforms like Instagram are clearly ready to capitalise on the uncertainty. Whether TikTok’s rivals will truly replace it – or if the app will manage a full return – remains to be seen.
See also: TikTok refugees flock to RedNote as lawmakers pressure Biden on ban
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