TikTok is once again set to be banned in the US this weekend if it doesn't sell itself to a buyer deemed fit by US officials. The app faced a similar dilemma in January before President Donald Trump extended the sale deadline for the app to this Saturday.
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The sale of TikTok would allow the app to continue to operate in the US. Former President Joe Biden signed a law in 2024 that effectively banned the app in the US if TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, didn't sell the app to an approved buyer by January. After the initial deadline passed, Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline by 75 days.
Since then, several bidders have voiced interest in purchasing the app. According to Reuters, Trump said on March 30 that a deal would be struck before the Saturday deadline, but he has also indicated that if a deal isn't made he could push the deadline back again. Trump also said he'd consider reducing tariffs on Chinese goods if that country's leaders agreed to a sale of the app.
But if the app isn't sold by the April 5 deadline, here's what US social media users should expect.
Will I be able to download TikTok to my phone?
Under the law, app stores run by companies like Apple and Google will have to remove the app from their stores overnight or face civil penalties. That means you won't be able to download the app to your device, and it also means ByteDance won't be able to issue updates to the app.
Will I still be able to access TikTok if I already have it?
If you already have the app downloaded to your device, yes. The law doesn't make it illegal to have the app on your phone.
Since app stores won't be able to distribute updates to the app after the law goes into effect, your experience with the app may degrade over time and even become insecure. It's unclear how long the app will work on your device without regular updates.
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However, before Trump extended the sale deadline in January, TikTok took itself offline in the US for about 14 hours so no one could access it. If a sale isn't reached by the Saturday deadline and Trump doesn't extend the deadline again, it's possible the app will once again shut itself down.
Will I be able to access TikTok from a web browser?
No, the law applies to app stores and internet providers alike.
How do I keep my posts and videos I like?
TikTok lets you download your posts and posts from your favorite creators. Here's how to download posts from your favorite creators before Sunday.
1. Open TikTok.
2. Tap the Share button on a post -- it's the arrow on the right side of your screen.
3. Tap Save Video.
Here's how to save your own posts.
1. Open TikTok.
2. Go to your profile.
3. Tap a post.
4. Tap the three dots (...) on the right side of your screen.
5. Tap Save Video.
The app will save those posts to your photo library.
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Could I use a VPN to access TikTok?
Yes, you could potentially use a VPN on your phone or browser to access TikTok.
"A virtual private network is a privacy tool that hides your IP address by sending your internet traffic through a remote server," CNET's Moe Long writes. "If I'm in New York, but tunneling through a London server with ExpressVPN, Disney Plus thinks I'm across the pond."
A VPN could make it look to TikTok like you're accessing it from the UK, or another country where it's not banned, when you're really in the US.
You could also potentially use a proxy server to access TikTok. A proxy server, like a VPN, masks your IP address by sending your traffic through another server first. The main difference between the two is that a proxy server doesn't offer as comprehensive privacy protections as a VPN does.
Could President Trump save TikTok again?
It's possible that Trump could push the deadline for TikTok's sale down the road for a second time. But Vice President JD Vance said in a March interview with NBC News that a deal should be made by the deadline.
"There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise," Vance said then. "We'd like to get it done without [an] extension."
For more on the case, here's what to know about the Supreme Court's TikTok decision.