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TikTok has returned to US app stores in a sign that Apple and Google have been reassured by the Trump administration that they will not face legal liabilities if they host the app owned by China’s ByteDance.
Last month, TikTok — which has 170mn US users — was unavailable in the country for several days when a new law came into force requiring ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban over national security concerns.
TikTok became available on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store in the US late on Thursday. TikTok declined to comment.
The app’s service had already been restored for those who had downloaded it on their phones, as well as for those using the web version, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order giving 75 days for a deal to be struck.
However, Apple and Google had kept ByteDance-owned apps off their respective stores for legal reasons. Without a sale of TikTok, companies that distribute or host the social media app risk a fine of $5,000 a user.
In his executive order, Trump directed attorney-general Pam Bondi to “issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct” during the 75-day period.
Apple and Google did not comment on the US government’s move.
TikTok’s long-term fate in the US remains unclear. Many politicians and security officials believe China’s government could use it to access Americans’ personal information, facilitate espionage and wield the app’s algorithm to spread propaganda. TikTok denies that Beijing has any control over the app.
But Trump has promised to “save” TikTok after it helped him reach the youth vote during the 2024 election campaign. Since issuing his executive order, the president has said he wants the US to have a “50 per cent ownership position in a joint venture”. He has encouraged a bidding war and suggested that a newly created US sovereign wealth fund could buy it.
Trump has indicated Microsoft is among “top of the line” companies in discussions about a potential acquisition. He has also said he would be “open” to Elon Musk buying TikTok, although the billionaire entrepreneur has since said he is not interested.
The fate of TikTok plays into broader geopolitical tensions between the US and China, with Trump imposing additional 10 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports.
China retaliated with its own tariffs on $14bn worth of US goods including coal, crude oil and liquefied natural gas. It has also launched legal probes into US companies including Google.
Additional reporting by Stephen Morris in San Francisco
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