TikTok is back after its shortlived ban in the United States.

For roughly 14 hours last month, Americans couldn't access TikTok due to a ban upheld by the Supreme Court three days before President Trump's inauguration. Anticipating an unusable app, some users deleted TikTok ahead of the ban, but were surprised to find TikTok operating hours into Trump's presidency, leaving them frustrated and others confused.

Why Didn't TikTok Become Permanently Disabled?

According to PBS news, former-president Biden decided to not move forward with the implementation of the ban, allowing President Trump to oversee its next steps when he took office.

An executive order signed by Trump after his inauguration prohibits Attorney General James McHenry from enforcing the TikTok ban for 75 days, giving Trump and members of his cabinet some time to negotiate with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance and TikTok lovers a chance to prepare themselves for a future without the app if compromising ends up a bust.

Image Credit: Visuals from Unsplash

That does not mean that TikTok isn’t currently banned— it technically still is and has been since January 19 as required by the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. It’s just not fully implemented during this grace period extended through Trump’s Executive Order, which did not overturn the ban.

Consequently, tech companies like Apple and Microsoft which typically host TikTok on their app stores, have become hesitant to do so. Under law, TikTok cannot be hosted by any U.S. platform as doing so will lead to hosting sites being fined upwards of $5,000 per download.

So, while you can still use TikTok if it was downloaded to your device before January 19, you are unlikely to receive updates and will be unable to download it from an app store on a new device or after it has been deleted.

TikTok developed another option for Android users who want to download the app on their mobile devices. On X, the company notified Americans that they could access TikTok through Android Package Kits, or APK, which are legal files that copy the structural and functional components of apps for use on Android devices.

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What's Next for TikTok in the U.S.?

In order for TikTok to continue working in the U.S., it would have to undergo a “qualified divestiture” which would lead to a partnership between the U.S. and ByteDance or TikTok not being operated by ByteDance and its subsidiaries. Since December, it has been rumored that various billionaires would acquire TikTok, using their share as a homebase for U.S. user’s data and privacy.

Elon Musk, MrBeast, and Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary notable for his appearances on SharkTank as “Mr. Wonderful”, expressed their interest in buying TikTok through X and traditional media. Trump has repeatedly supported Musk and Orcale’s co-founder, Larry Ellison in buying TikTok.

During a late January press conference, the president said he was open to Musk buying TikTok and would “like” if Ellison bought it too.

On Feb. 3, President Trump signed an Executive Order that would create a sovereign wealth fund for the United States Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessant and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick are going to lead the initiative, which is expected to grow the U.S.’s investment portfolio for the benefit of Americans.

The International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds describes sovereign wealth funds are government-owned funds where money is accumulated to be used for foreign investments or investments relating to a country’s goals.

Although the logistics of the creation of the U.S.’s first sovereign wealth fund are still being developed, President Trump and other government officials have suggested using the fund as an alternative way to acquire TikTok if a satisfactory deal is not made between ByteDance and the U.S.

As Trump’s 75-day extension deadline nears, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain.