TikTok is no longer available in the United States – at least for now. But this isn’t the only ByteDance-owned app that’s currently blocked for US users.
Shortly before the federal deadline of January 19, TikTok cut off access to anyone trying to access the app from the US. “There is a law in the US banning TikTok. Unfortunately, this means you can’t use the TikTok app for now,” we read on a block screen where US users are trying to load the app. “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once he takes office. Stay tuned!”
Similar notifications appear on other apps owned by ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company based in China and at the center of controversy over the popular video app that, at least as of Saturday, had 170 million U.S. users. Video editing app CapCut, photo and video sharing app Lemon8 and others have stopped working in the US.
A federal law passed last year prohibits ByteDance-owned apps from operating in the U.S. on national security grounds. In response to Chinese regulations requiring companies based in China to share their data with the Chinese government and intelligence agencies, the company Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary-Controlled Apps Act (PAFACA) required ByteDance to sell TikTok and other apps to a non-Chinese entity by Sunday.
This sale did not take place. As a result, TikTok began blocking US users on Saturday, January 18, before midnight. Because PAFACA blocks all apps operated by ByteDance, not just TikTok, users of countless other apps are subject to the same restrictions.
PAFACA does not require ByteDance to block US users of its apps. Instead, it prohibits any U.S. company from providing any services to “distribute, maintain or update” ByteDance-owned applications. As a result, many of these apps are no longer available in the Apple and Google app stores. However, that could change soon after Donald Trump takes office on Monday, when the US president-elect signals that he plans to extend the deadline for TikTok’s sale by 90 days. Yes, it’s all very confusing.
For now, here’s a rundown of all the apps that US users can no longer access due to the US ban on ByteDance-owned apps.
TikTok, TikTok Studio, TikTok Store Seller, TikTok Lite
Not only TikTok, but other ByteDance-owned apps that run in the TikTok ecosystem have also become unavailable along with the main app. These include TikTok Studio (for creators to manage content and check stats), TikTok Shop Seller (for e-commerce sellers using the app to manage business operations), and TikTok Lite (a smaller and faster version of the original app, only available in certain countries) .
CapCut
CapCut is a free video editing tool optimized for vertical videos that you can post to TikTok. It is often the application of choice for amateur developers due to its professional features. Some creators also use CapCut to create videos before uploading them to platforms other than TikTok.
Lemon8
ByteDance launched Lemon8 in February 2023 as a photo-based social media app. It is known for resembling RedNote, a social media app that is particularly popular in China, which this week also became a destination for many exiled TikTok users. Some TikTok users also decided to migrate to Lemon8, but the app also went offline.
Gauth
With Gauth, students can take photos of their homework and the app uses artificial intelligence to understand the problem and provide step-by-step solutions. It also has other features that facilitate students be more productive while studying. By application exclusion announcement this weekend “helped 300 million users ask billions of questions.”
Equestrian
Hypic, launched in 2022, is a photo editing tool with a strong focus on generative artificial intelligence tools. It uses artificial intelligence to help users improve the quality of photos or turn a photo into a cartoon.
Lark
Lark is a workplace communication app similar to Slack. Originally created for internal ByteDance messaging among employees, it has now become one of the most widely used office communication applications in China, with several million active users.
Melolo, Fizzo, MyTopia Książki
Poligon, a subsidiary of Singapore-based ByteDance, publishes several apps that allow users to watch short vertical dramas (Melolo) or read fiction novels online (Fizzo and MyTopia Books). MyTopia Books is the only one of these apps that has not ended support for US users and somehow remains available in the US Apple App Store.
Tokopedia
Tokopedia is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Indonesia. It was acquired by ByteDance in December 2023 and merged with TikTok Shop’s operations in the country after the Indonesian government banned the latter app, quoting “the need to protect smaller sellers and user data.”
The app has become unavailable in the US Apple App Store, but remains available in the US Google Play Store as of press time.