TikTok returns to Apple App Store and Google Play after Trump extends ban deadline, recovers 90% traffic

TikTok is back on Apple and Google’s app stores after being removed nearly a month ago. The short-form video app disappeared on January 18 when its parent company, ByteDance, temporarily shut down U.S. operations in response to a law that set a deadline for divestiture.

Despite being absent from app stores for nearly a month, TikTok managed to recover about 90% of its previous traffic, CNBC reported, citing Cloudflare Radar data.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed by President Joe Biden in April, gave ByteDance until January 19 to sell its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban. Companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle risked penalties if they didn’t comply.

TikTok has fought back, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million U.S. users. The U.S. government, meanwhile, has maintained that ByteDance’s ties to China make the app a security risk. The Supreme Court backed the administration’s stance in January, stating that Congress had “well-supported national security concerns” over TikTok’s data practices and ownership.

TikTok followed through on its threat to halt operations unless Biden intervened. But the app was back up after Donald Trump, on his first day back in office, signed an executive order extending the divestiture deadline to April 5.

Trump later posted on Truth Social that he wanted the U.S. to hold a 50% stake in a joint venture to “save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft is reportedly in discussions to acquire TikTok. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that Microsoft is exploring a potential acquisition of TikTok. The discussions come as the U.S. government pushes TikTok to divest its American operations or face a ban. Trump told reporters he hopes to see competition in the bidding process for the app, signaling his interest in how the sale unfolds.