Purchased iPhone 16 today 01/22/25. Everything transferred perfectly. All apps, photos etc. Used TikTok all day. Went to use it a few minutes ago, clicked on the TikTok icon and it now says “This app is no longer available in the App Store.” Why was deleted when I’ve had the app for 4yrs?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iPhone 16, iOS 18
See: About availability of TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. apps in the United States - Apple Support
I believe that the law was passed in 2024 and that the legal ban went into effect a few days ago, causing both Apple and Google to pull TikTok and other ByteDance apps from their respective U.S. app stores.
Tik Tok is banned in the United States.
chuckfromphiladelphia wrote:
If you already had the app installed you were able to use it after the 12hr shut down even though there is a ban. It still works on my iPad with no issues.
If TikTok is already installed locally, on your device, the law does not require Apple or Google to reach into your device and delete it.
What the law prohibits is "providing services to distribute, maintain, or update" a "foreign adversary controlled application" (where the definition of "application" includes mobile apps, desktop applications, and Web sites). Thus, if TikTok was making changes to their services that required updates to their app, the law would prohibit Apple from distributing those updates to you, even if that broke your ability to use your already-installed app.
If you already had the app installed you were able to use it after the 12hr shut down even though there is a ban. It still works on my iPad with no issues.
TikTok app missing on newly purchased iPhone 16
