TikTok is again within the US, nevertheless it’s not on the App Retailer: Right here’s what it is advisable to know

It’s been a tumultuous a number of days for TikTok in the USA. The app went offline on Saturday night time and was faraway from the App Retailer by Apple. On Sunday afternoon, nevertheless, TikTok restored service in the USA because of “crucial readability” supplied by President Trump.

Regardless of TikTok being on-line as soon as once more in the USA, nevertheless, the app stays unavailable from the App Retailer. Right here’s what it is advisable to find out about that ever-evolving state of affairs.

A quick timeline of the TikTok drama

• In April of 2024, President Biden signed a ban that gave TikTok’s China-linked father or mother firm to divest the app throughout the subsequent 9 months or else face a ban in the USA.
• That timeline expired on January 19. TikTok subsequently went darkish in the USA on January 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET. The corporate was below no obligation to go darkish, however selected to take action anyway. As an alternative, TikTok’s companions like net host Oracle, app retailer suppliers like Apple and Google, had been tasked with imposing the ban below the federal regulation.
• Moments later, Apple eliminated TikTok from the App Retailer in the USA and stated it’s “obligated to observe the legal guidelines within the jurisdictions the place it operates.”
• At round 12:30 p.m. on January 19, TikTok introduced it was within the means of “restoring service” in the USA. The corporate stated that President Trump had supplied “the mandatory readability and assurance to our service suppliers that they may face no penalties offering.”

At the same time as TikTok got here again on-line in the USA, Apple has not added TikTok again to the App Retailer. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have additionally not added the app again to their respective app shops. It’s because Oracle and its companions have determined to take the chance of a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} in fines below the “assurance” supplied by Trump that he won’t implement the ban.

Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, nevertheless, are seemingly not keen to take that danger, as we defined this morning.

What does this imply for TikTok customers?

For those who’re an iPhone person, this implies a couple of various things. First, if you have already got TikTok in your iPhone, you possibly can entry the service. Apple didn’t take away the TikTok app from anybody’s system, nor did Apple play any function in blocking entry to the service for present customers.

TikTok remains to be unavailable on the App Retailer, stopping new customers from downloading it. Earlier TikTok customers who deleted the app can also’t re-download it. Furthermore, TikTok can’t obtain updates by means of the App Retailer. The final replace was launched final week.

Many of the regular performance is obtainable within the TikTok app for iPhone now that TikTok itself has restored entry to the service. For instance, TikTok’s bodily items storefront, referred to as TikTok Store, is totally purposeful by way of the iPhone app and Apple Pay is a cost choice.

Nevertheless, the state of affairs round digital purchases made with Apple’s In-App Buy system is barely completely different.

• In-App Purchases made earlier than the TikTok federal ban went into impact on Saturday night time are totally accessible.
• You can not, nevertheless, make new In-App Purchases within the TikTok app for iPhone. It’s because Apple can not legally allow this performance below the principles of the federal ban.
• You can also make digital purchases by way of the TikTok web site and people purchases will be accessed by way of the TikTok app on iPhone.

What occurs subsequent for TikTok stays to be seen. As I used to be scripting this story, President Trump was formally sworn into workplace. Trump has prompt he’ll delay enforcement of the TikTok ban by 90 days. Trump additionally stated he would “like the USA to have a 50% possession place in a three way partnership” for TikTok. Whether or not that’s one thing ByteDance is keen to just accept stays to be seen.

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