After being removed for more than 25 days, TikTok has finally returned to both the App Store and Play Store as of Thursday evening. Apple and Google initially removed the app on January 18 due to a national security law, restricting new downloads.
Along with TikTok, ByteDance’s other apps, including the video editor CapCut and social platform Lemon8, have also been reinstated. Apple had previously published a rare support document explaining the removal, but the company has now taken it down.
While TikTok began restoring services for existing users on January 19, the app remained unavailable for new downloads until now. This meant that anyone who had uninstalled the app couldn’t reinstall it through official app stores. In response, TikTok encouraged Android users to sideload the app from its website earlier this month.
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order giving ByteDance 75 days to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based entity or face a potential ban. Last month, he stated that he wanted the U.S. to hold a 50% stake in TikTok through a joint venture with other companies. Additionally, Trump launched a U.S. sovereign fund that could take part in negotiations regarding TikTok’s future.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the app, TikTok’s traffic has rebounded significantly. A CNBC report last month cited Cloudflare Radar data, showing that TikTok’s traffic had recovered to nearly 90% of pre-ban levels. Meanwhile, competing social media platforms are attempting to capitalize on the situation. X and Bluesky both introduced dedicated vertical video feeds, while Meta announced a new video editing app aimed at competing with CapCut.
TikTok remained one of the most popular apps in the U.S. last year. According to analytics firm Sensor Tower, it was the second most downloaded app in the country, with 52 million downloads.
