On January 18-19, TikTok temporarily went dark for all Americans on the app. This lasted around 12 to 15 hours for most users.

Since President Trump’s first term in 2020, there has been discussion of the ban because of the possible national security threat it poses.

When users opened the app while it was temporarily banned, they were greeted with a short message saying, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now…We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”

Once the app was restored on the 19th, users received this message: “Welcome back!…as a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

President Trump signed an executive order that will delay the ban for 75 days, fulfilling the claim he had made before he took office.

However, the fight is not over because TikTok must sell the platform within the 75-day waiting period. If not, the ban could be put back into place. On the other hand, If it does get sold, there will likely be changes over time according to the new owner’s liking. Regardless, users will not have the same experience as before.

Unfortunately, due to the ban, users who chose to delete the app from their phones can no longer re-download it because it is no longer available on any app store for Americans.

As of now, American users can use the app the same way they could before it went dark.