13-02-2025
There's a new way to download TikTok, free from the Play Store's shackles
TikTok is available for download in the US through its website due to government sanctions.
Users can update and access their accounts through APK sideloading.
Apple users must wait for TikTok's official reinstatement on the App Store for access.
Social media apps do everything to get your attention and TikTok was arguably the social media app that popularized the efficacy of short video content, keeping users hooked, so much so that even the likes of YouTube followed suit. However, TikTok has also been the center of unwanted attention of governments around the world, including rather recently, when the app's publisher, ByteDance, was forced to pull the app off official distribution channels in the US. It isn't reinstated there, but users in the US can now download the official version of the app again.
Shortly before Donald Trump commenced his second term as President, the outgoing administration levied sanctions against several businesses associated with Chinese-origin companies. As a part of these sanctions, multiple ByteDance-published apps like Marvel Snap, and the publisher's crown jewel, TikTok, were taken off the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. When the government changed, the ban on the apps was stayed, but TikTok hasn't returned to the Play Store or App Store yet.
However, TikTok now offers new and returning users an option to download the APK from its website directly, saving users from the risks and inconvenience of relying on shady sources (via The Verge). Interestingly, TikTok Lite is also available the same way, so you can still use the app even if your internet connection is slower. You can also update to the latest version of the app by sideloading this downloaded file on your device. The app's services have since been restored, so users who didn't uninstall an older version now have access to their accounts again.
TikTok and its publishers don't need to abide by the same rules they need when offering an app download option outside the Play Store, but the company's support documentation maintains this version now available to users in the US is perfectly safe. Unfortunately, Apple users cannot benefit from this external listing, since the Cupertino giant doesn't officially allow sideloading apps on its devices. These users must wait for the app to be reinstated on the App Store, or use an existing installation to continue scrolling since TikTok services are operational.
Google did not respond to a request for comment from The Verge, so there's no telling when the app might be back on the Play Store for sure.
