Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
TikTok announced on Sunday that it’s “in the process of restoring service,” but the app is still unavailable in the App Store and Google Play.
As of Tuesday morning, the app is still unavailable, and it is unclear whether that will change due to Donald Trump’s newly issued executive order telling the Department of Justice not to enforce the ban’s penalties. Google and Apple have not responded to multiple requests for comment on whether or not they will list TikTok in their app stores.
If you search for TikTok on the App Store, you’ll see a message saying, “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in,” while Google Play says, “Downloads for this app are paused due to current US legal requirements.”
Apple’s message also links to a support page explaining why it has removed TikTok.
Screenshot: The Verge
Google Play’s message (left) vs. the App Store’s (right).
TikTok went dark in the US on Saturday night just before the law that requires its owner, ByteDance, to divest or face a nationwide ban.
But on Sunday, TikTok has returned for some users in the US “in agreement” with its service providers, the company said. A pop-up displayed within the app thanks users for their patience and says its restoration comes “as a result of President Trump’s efforts.”
None of the companies involved have responded to requests for further comment. However, its restoration so far suggests that the app’s hosting provider, Oracle, and its CDN partner, Akamai, are relying on Trump’s promise that there would be “no liability” for companies that support TikTok. Others in the government, like Republican Senator Tom Cotton, commended the app stores for removing ByteDance apps and said any company that facilitates TikTok “could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs.”
Update, January 21st: Noted the app is still unavailable.
