TikTok returns to Google Play Store; Apple approval expected soon

(ECNS) -- TikTok has officially been reinstated on the Google Play Store, with reports suggesting that the app may soon return to Apple’s App Store too.

In April 2024, the then-U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that required TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app to a non-Chinese entity by Jan. 19, 2025.

Should ByteDance fail to comply, the app would face a potential ban in the U.S. On Jan. 17, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the "sell or ban" law, leading both Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their U.S. app stores on Jan. 19, in accordance with legal requirements.

Following the removals, TikTok temporarily suspended services to U.S. users on Jan. 18 at approximately 6 p.m. local time. The company confirmed on Jan. 19 that it was working to restore access to U.S. users.

On Jan. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order instructing the Justice Department to delay enforcement of the "sell or ban" law for 75 days.

The move gave the U.S. government additional time to determine its next steps, but the order also reiterated that TikTok must divest 50 percent of its shares to U.S. entities, including the government.

In response to these developments, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong stressed that "China hopes the U.S. will listen more to the voices of businesses and the public, and provide a fair and just business environment for companies from all countries, including Chinese enterprises."

To date, TikTok has yet to appear on the U.S. Apple App Store, with Instagram being the top result when users search for the app. However, ByteDance’s CapCut, a video editing tool previously removed from app stores, has been reinstated.

TikTok has not yet issued a statement on the situation.