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TikTok reportedly ready to go dark in the US this Sunday, January 19

By Iskra Petrova

Published: Jan 15, 2025, 8:45 AM

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TikTok may face an immediate and complete shutdown in the US and that date is coming fast: it could happen this Sunday, January 19. ByteDance has reportedly begun preparations for such a possible moment.

The hugely popular social media platform is facing a potential impending doom after months and even years of threading troubled waters in the US. According to a new report, the app could be abruptly switched off in the US following a ban, instead of remaining operational for the millions of people who already have it on their phones.

The info comes from unnamed people, allegedly familiar with the matter. If true, their claims mean that TikTok users in the US could lose access entirely by Sunday - unless the Supreme Court steps in to halt the looming ban. Understandably, new downloads on Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store would also be impossible.

The reported TikTok plan indicates that if the ban is followed through with, on January 19, users will be greeted with a somewhat unpleasant pop-up message redirecting them to a website with information about the shutdown (yep, sounds a bit sad, alright). Existing users will reportedly be able to download their data and personal information, but that's where the fun stops - not even a single funny cat video will be left for one last binge.

Last year, the US passed a law paving the way for a nationwide TikTok ban unless ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, sold the app’s US operations to an American company. This seems highly unlikely now given the fact that the company was quick to call "pure fiction" reports about Musk being approached to buy TikTok.

Unfortunately for many users, it’s starting to look like TikTok’s days in the US might be ticking away. The Supreme Court, which is currently the only entity that could stop the ban, seems likely to uphold it instead.

TikTok has been troublesome for the US in recent years, but things have never seemed as serious as now. The social media platform has been sued, banned for government use, and criticized for a multitude of reasons: from being an alleged national security risk to ruining teens' mental health, but it always managed to continue its operations. Maybe, not this time.

Its ban in the US could possibly lead to its popularity declining all over the world as well.

The platform took the world by storm in 2018 and 2019 and singlehandedly created the vertical short video format that has become a staple of social media nowadays. Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms have since introduced their own takes on short vertical videos.

There's still some time left before we are officially certain of its fate. However, people have already started looking into alternatives such as Xiaohongshu (RedNote) or good-ol' Instagram.

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Iskra Petrova is a news writer at PhoneArena, where she covers mobile tech news and maintains the site’s device hubs with the latest leaked specs, rumors, and official details for upcoming phones. She joined PhoneArena in 2020 after three years in technical support for Microsoft Exchange, giving her practical experience with software infrastructure and troubleshooting. Iskra holds a Master’s Degree in Literature, which helps her translate complex tech details into clear, reader-friendly coverage. She is a daily Apple ecosystem user, while also closely following Sony Xperia’s camera-focused phones and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series.

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