TikTok Usage Now Banned in the US: What You Need to Know

TikTok stopped working in the United States on Saturday night, just two hours before a ban was supposed to start. This sudden shutdown blocked people from using one of the most popular apps in the world, with over 170 million American users. When users tried to open TikTok, they saw a message saying:

“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available now.

A law, called the divest or ban law has banned TikTok in the U.S. This means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

This happened after the Supreme Court supported a ban approved by Congress and signed into law in April by President Joe Biden. The law says TikTok, owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance, must sell itself to a U.S. or allied company to keep working in America.

TikTok hinted it might come back soon, possibly as early as Monday. In a pop-up message, TikTok said:
“We are lucky that President Trump has said he will help bring TikTok back when he takes office. Stay tuned!”

Trump said he might delay the ban for 90 days starting Monday. He told NBC News, “We’ll look at it. A 90-day delay is likely because this is a big issue.”

This shutdown is just the latest twist in TikTok’s ongoing problems. The app was also removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. Other apps owned by ByteDance, like CapCut, showed similar messages.

Lawmakers worry that TikTok’s connection to China and its data collection is a threat to U.S. security. Many users, including influencers and small businesses that rely on TikTok, said they were worried but hopeful the app would return. However, the Supreme Court’s decision made it clear the ban is serious.

Service providers like Apple and Google are afraid of being punished for breaking the law by keeping TikTok online. So, they decided to stop supporting the app, forcing TikTok to go offline.

Trump who is to be sworn in on the 20th for his non-consecutive second term ,  warned about TikTok years ago, but now says he wants to save the app. On his Truth Social account, Trump shared stats about his TikTok popularity and asked, “Why would I want to ban TikTok?”

TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, has been meeting with Trump to find a solution. The company said it’s working hard to bring TikTok back in the U.S. as soon as possible.

The law allows the president to delay the ban for 90 days if there’s proof TikTok is working on selling to a U.S. company. However, ByteDance has refused to sell, arguing that TikTok is valuable and important for small businesses in America.

White House officials said they won’t enforce the ban over the weekend, but service providers worried they might still face legal trouble. This made TikTok take the app offline. A TikTok message to employees said:
“This is disappointing for all of us, but President Trump has said he’ll help bring TikTok back. We’re working hard to make this happen.”

Some lawmakers still strongly support the ban, saying TikTok is a “spy app” controlled by China. Others believe TikTok will stay online in the U.S. eventually. For now, similar apps like ByteDance’s Lemon8 have become more popular, but they might face bans too.

Analysts think TikTok will likely find a way to return, especially if Trump helps negotiate a deal.