TikTok banned: Why you’re seeing a pop-up when you open the app

It’s official: TikTok, an app used by a third of American adults, is banned in the U.S. You can probably tell by the pop-up message you see if you try to open the app.

“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”

This pop-up isn’t exactly a surprise. It comes after months of legal battles and political maneuvers, which reached a fever pitch on Friday, Jan. 17, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold the ban, lining up with decisions other courts have made. Earlier this week, sources at TikTok told Reuters that anyone in the U.S. who opens the app will see a pop-up message that will take them to a website with information about the ban. It looks like TikTok made good on its plan.

It’s not the first time TikTok has sent a politically motivated pop-up message about the U.S. government’s efforts to ban the app due to concerns over its Chinese ownership. In March 2024, the app asked users to call their representatives to ask for an end to the ban.

“Congress is planning a total ban of TikTok,” the pop-up message read. “Speak up now — before your government strips 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience. Let Congress know what TikTok means to you and tell them to vote NO.”

Despite the ban, TikTok is still fighting to be reinstated. If the ban gets reversed, TikTok sources told Reuters that it would be able to restore service “in a relatively short time,” and TikTok CEO Shou Chew is cozying up to President-elect Donald Trump in hopes that he might reverse the app. President Joe Biden won’t enforce the ban, punting that decision to Trump. Within a few hours of that announcement, Chew released a statement video on TikTok thanking Trump “for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”

While we aren’t sure what Trump will do with regards to TikTok, he did invite the CEO to his inauguration on Monday. The notification users received Saturday night ended with this statement:

“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”