TikTok Plans US-Owned App to Sidestep Potential Ban

Popular video-sharing app TikTok is still available to US users only because President Trump issued an executive order in early 2025 to postpone the ban the Chinese app is facing. Trump has extended the delay two more times since then, with the latest extension coming just a few weeks ago.

TikTok still faces a ban under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, with the new deadline set for mid-September when the current extension will expire unless it complies with the law.

A new report indicates that ByteDance, the Chinese giant that owns TikTok, is working on a solution to prevent TikTok from being banned in the US. That solution involves releasing a brand-new TikTok app for American users, which will store data on US servers. A US entity will own the new TikTok version, with ByteDance holding a minority stake in the new company.

The new TikTok app

According to The Information (via MacRumors), TikTok has been working on a new app version ahead of the likely US sale.

Dubbed M2, the new TikTok app will be exclusive to the US. It’ll be different from the current international version of TikTok, which is codenamed “M” internally.

TikTok M will be removed from US app stores on September 5, when TikTok M2 will be released. American users will have to download the new app from digital stores and likely migrate their data to the new version.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that TikTok plans to launch a separate version of the app for the US market. Reuters reported in late May 2024 that TikTok was developing a US-only version of the app ahead of the looming ban.

At the time, TikTok denied the report. The company also said it wouldn’t be able to meet the requirements in the new legislation targeting TikTok before the deadline. Reuters said creating the US TikTok app would take more than a year. The Information’s new details seem to support that report.

What will TikTok users need to do?

Image source: TikTok

TikTok needs to create a separate version of the app for two reasons. First, it has to untangle the code from the current app that controls algorithms and data storage. Second, Apple’s App Store doesn’t allow developers to create app forks for certain markets. So TikTok must repackage the M2 app as standalone software.

As for who will own the TikTok M2 social app, that’s still unclear. The Information says a group of “non-Chinese” investors is working with the Trump administration on the sale. Oracle will reportedly be part of that group and might also provide the US-based cloud services an app like TikTok needs under the PAFACA law.

It’s unclear what TikTok users will need to do to migrate to the TikTok M2 version. It’s likely TikTok will offer tools to export data from the original app and move it to M2.

Supposedly, once TikTok M is no longer available for download in the US, it’ll continue working on devices until March 2026. If that timeline holds, users will have about six months to switch to the new version.

It’s also unclear how American users will interact with the main TikTok app after the change. I’d assume TikTok M2 will still provide access to content from TikTok M and vice versa. Only the algorithms and cloud storage will differ. But that’s just speculation for now.

The Information is usually accurate when reporting on unannounced products and plans in the tech world. I’d expect more announcements from TikTok and the Trump administration as we approach September.