WASHINGTON — U.S. users will be unable to use TikTok on Saturday as a ban on the popular social media platform officially takes effect.
On Saturday night, TikTok sent a welcome message to users who opened the app: “Sorry, TikTok is currently unavailable.”
“The United States has enacted laws banning TikTok,” the message continued. “Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok right now. We’re lucky that President Trump has said he will work with us on solutions to restore TikTok once he takes office. Stay tuned!”
A spokesman for the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night about the app’s notice specifically praising the president-elect.
The message then prompts the user to close the app or learn more. On the website login page, the message has an additional line informing users that they can still log in to download the data.
The app also appears to have been removed from the U.S. Apple and Google app stores and is unavailable for download.
TikTok has 170 million U.S. users.
The notification TikTok users received when they tried to use the app on Saturday.
Other byte-beating apps, including CapCut, Lemon8 and Gauth, displayed similar messages and were also unavailable to many U.S. users Saturday night.
Apple said on its website earlier Sunday that TikTok and ByteDance apps are no longer available in the United States
“Apple is obligated to comply with the laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates. Wait — starting January 19, 2025, US users will no longer be able to download or update on the App Store.
TikTok’s shutdown comes after days of tense uncertainty for the app leading up to Sunday when a ban on TikTok was expected to take effect in the United States.
In April, President Joe Biden signed a law forcing TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok to non-Chinese owners or face TikTok being banned. The Supreme Court upheld the law on Friday, paving the way for the app to be shut down in the United States.
But the Biden administration issued a statement on Friday saying it would leave enforcement of the law to the Trump administration. Since the law was enacted, it has become so popular with users and many Americans that many TikTok users have begun fleeing to the Chinese social media app.
The Biden administration said it would not enforce the ban, which is set to take effect Sunday, creating uncertainty about whether Americans will be unable to use the app or stay online.
Lawmakers from both parties have denounced TikTok as a national security threat because it is owned by a Chinese company. Critics of TikTok argue the Chinese government could use the app to access Americans’ data or influence the type of content Americans watch.
But the company pushed back against lawmakers’ concerns, instead describing the looming ban as a free speech and censorship issue. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the app is safe and reliable.
The future of the app is far from certain. Earlier on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump told NBC News’ Kristen Welker that he would “probably” extend the app’s Sunday deadline by 90 days to allow ByteDance to sell the app Procedures to ban TikTok in US
“A 90-day extension is the most likely thing to get done because it’s appropriate,” Trump said.
Trump’s stance on TikTok has shifted. In 2020, he said he wanted to ban the app. Years later, Trump changed his stance and created his own TikTok account during the 2024 presidential campaign. In a video, Trump said he would “save TikTok.”
In a video message posted on TikTok on Friday, Chew Thank you Trumpsaying that the incoming president strongly supports TikTok. Chew cited Trump’s popularity on the app, where he is the most followed American politician with more than 14 million followers.
Some TikTok users turned to rival social media platforms to express sympathy for the app’s closure.
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One user compared TikTok to the Detroit Lions because they both “got knocked out” by Washington.
Members of the Trump administration remain divided over the app, with some, like incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Kahl, advocating against Chinese influence on the app, while others, like unofficial government spending watchdog Musk is promoting the continued use of TikTok in the United States.
On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social: “The Supreme Court’s decision was expected and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the near future, but I must have time to review the situation.” .stay tuned!
One way TikTok can comply with the law and remain active in the United States is by negotiating a sale of the app to a U.S. owner. Trump could uphold Biden’s decision not to enforce the law, but it’s unclear how long that would last.
Earlier this week, users on TikTok mourned the potential collapse of the app, with many top creators compiling their hottest moments on the app or asking their fans to follow them on other platforms. Many TikTok users have flocked to a Chinese app called RedNote to protest the government, but it poses a greater security threat than TikTok, experts who spoke to NBC News said.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com
