Fans of TikTok are eagerly awaiting its arrival again in US app stores

Users who uninstalled the app were nervously checking their iPhones and Android smartphones to see that it was still not accessible for download three days after ByteDance’s TikTok went black and was swiftly restored in the United States.
In an attempt to benefit quickly from the desperate situation of TikTok devotees, some people advertised gadgets on eBay (EBAY.O), opening a new tab with the software allegedly downloaded for as much as $50,000.
On Tuesday, TikTok remained in legal purgatory, unable to be downloaded from the US versions of the Google and Apple app stores. Uncertain of its validity, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday that delays the implementation of a 75-day ban on the well-known short-video app owned by China.

Following Trump’s promises that the corporation and its partners would not be subject to heavy fines for maintaining the program, TikTok restarted operations, although it had not yet made its way back to app stores. Lemon8 and CapCut, two other ByteDance applications, were also no longer accessible.
In the meantime, efforts to find a buyer for TikTok persisted. Trump stated on Tuesday that he was amenable to billionaire Elon Musk purchasing the app if the new CEO of Tesla (TSLA.O) so desired.

Additionally, businessmen Frank McCourt and Kevin O’Leary met with John Moolenaar, the chair of the House Select Committee on China, to discuss the possible privatization of TikTok.
The Project Liberty group, led by billionaire businessman McCourt, has formally offered to purchase it, estimating the app’s unalgorithmic value at about $20 billion. Earlier this month, Project Liberty announced that O’Leary had joined the endeavor.
O’Leary stated in a Tuesday interview with CNBC that while he would be open to a TikTok acquisition, the existing legal framework would not allow it.

“I, along with every other possible buyer, would love to work with Trump on that 50/50 arrangement… However, the issue with some of these concepts is that they conflict with the Supreme Court’s decision,” the investor told CNBC.
Users’ reactions to the back and forth have been divided; some had even considered quitting TikTok after witnessing Trump’s intense involvement in the talks that would lead to the ultimate sale of the app to one of his tech sector supporters. “I don’t want to stay a pawn in this hellscape any longer. On Meta’s Threads app, TikTok user Nicole Norman stated, “I’m not saying it will make a difference to TikTok, but it will make a difference to me.” “I will not be back on TikTok.”
However, some people want TikTok to return, which is impossible as long as Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Apple (AAPL.O) do not make it available.

Lauren Scott, a provider of travel material, stated, “I’ve been checking every day.” Scott, 29, who is presently in Brazil, heard in some Facebook groups that if Americans overseas erased and downloaded the app again, they would be able to access it. She was left in uncertainty when that turned out not to be the case.
Analysts speculate that the delay may be due to Google and Apple waiting for more safeguards before evading the prohibition that penalizes the corporations for hosting or distributing the software.
The message “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in” appeared in the Apple App Store. For this software, Google Play displayed the message, “Downloads are paused due to current U.S. legal requirements.”

To obtain access, some users have been experimenting with multi-step procedures, such attempting to modify their phone’s position.
TikTok user Lauren Nader posted on Threads, “Really hoping TikTok comes back to the app store ASAP, not wanting to do any of that VPN stuff to get it back.”
Requests for comment from TikTok, Apple, and Google were not answered.

Citing national security concerns, U.S. lawmakers this year approved a bill supported by the U.S. Supreme Court mandating that ByteDance sell TikTok or risk being banned. There are still a lot of Republican and Democratic MPs that want ByteDance to sell the app.

China’s foreign ministry stated on Monday that businesses “decide independently” on issues pertaining to their operations and transactions, signaling for the first time this week that it would be amenable to a compromise that would keep TikTok functioning in the US.
Concerns over the tool’s future under a new ownership structure have led some users who are still using TikTok to claim that the algorithm of the app is “feeling different” since it returned to the internet.
On Sunday, TikTok greeted users with the following message: “We appreciate your support and patience. Thanks to President Trump’s efforts, TikTok has returned to the United States.

“My account was ‘back’ this morning, so I canceled it. On Threads, TikTok user Janel Samson declared, “I’m done with [Trump] taking credit for the messes he starts.”
As of Tuesday evening, more than 200 Android and iPhone smartphones that had the software installed were for sale on the website.