Around 12 hours after shutting itself down in the United States, TikTok is back for many users almost like it never left, attributing its return to a move by President-elect Donald Trump to save the app.
TikTok welcomed users back with a notification that said: “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
The whiplash move to bring the app back comes after TikTok became unusable for Americans late Saturday night. Users who tried to open the app at that time were met with a message saying it was offline and asking users to “stay tuned.”
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” TikTok’s message read in part. The app was also unavailable on the Apple and Google Play stores, along with Lemon8 and CapCut, which are also owned by TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance.
Early on Sunday, Trump said he would issue an executive order following his inauguration on Monday to delay enforcement of the divest-or-ban law. And within hours, access to TikTok’s app and webpage began to return for US users.
TikTok’s restoration will be welcome news for the app’s 170 million American users, many of whom use the app for hours every day to find news, entertainment and community and, in some cases, to make a living, after weeks of uncertainty.
And it signaled that Trump may be poised to score a major political victory by claiming responsibility for bringing back the popular platform. In a statement midday Sunday, TikTok said Trump’s promise to save the app allowed it to restore US users’ access even before his expected executive order is signed.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the company said in a statement. “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” in Washington, DC, Sunday night, before being seated prominently at the incoming president’s inauguration Monday.
But while TikTok’s shutdown lasted just a few hours, securing the app’s long-term future in the United States is likely to be more complicated.