The tech world is buzzing with news that TikTok, the incredibly popular video app, is creating a new version just for users in the United States. This move comes as the app faces tough new rules in the US. The law states that TikTok must sell its US operations to a company outside of China. If they don’t, the app could be completely shut down in its biggest market.
The plan is to launch this new, US-specific app on September 5, 2025. Current TikTok users in the US will need to switch over to this new version. Once the new app is out, the old TikTok app will be pulled from US app stores. By March 2026, the original TikTok app will stop working entirely for US users.
It’s still unclear how this new app fits into the ongoing pressure from the US government. For a while now, US officials have been pushing TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US business. They view the app as a tool for Chinese propaganda and a risk to national security. The deadline for this sale has already been extended three times and is set to end in September 2025.
Amidst these discussions, former US President Donald Trump has mentioned that a “very wealthy group” plans to buy TikTok’s US business from ByteDance. However, no specific details about this group or the deal have been shared publicly.
This whole situation is made more complicated because any deal needs approval from the Chinese government too. ByteDance is based in China, which adds another layer to the negotiations. Despite these hurdles, many expect that both governments will eventually find a way to agree, balancing trade interests and reaching a final deal.
ByteDance first launched TikTok in 2016, and it quickly became a worldwide sensation. By early 2025, over 1.8 billion people were using TikTok every month, according to FourthWall. The United States is TikTok’s largest market, with 135 million users, as reported by Statista.