TikTok Returns
TikTok returned to the U.S. Apple and Google app stores on Thursday after President Donald Trump postponed its ban until April 5. He also assured the companies that they would not be fined for hosting or distributing the Chinese app.
The popular short-video platform, used by 170 million Americans, began restoring its services weeks after going offline. Trump had promised to bring back access to the app before his inauguration.
TikTok did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for a comment.
Last month, Trump’s executive order postponed TikTok’s ban for 75 days, allowing the China-based company ByteDance to continue operating in the U.S. for now.
The order also stated that app store operators, such as Apple and Google, would not face any penalties for keeping TikTok available for download and updates.
TikTok was the second most downloaded app in the U.S. in 2024, with over 52 million downloads, according to market research firm Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower also reported that 52% of these downloads came from the Apple App Store, while 48% were from Google Play.
