TikTok will remain online in the United States for at least three more months after President Donald Trump extended the deadline to force a sale of the popular app from its Chinese parent company. The new cutoff date is now September 17, giving users temporary relief from a looming ban.
Trump announced Wednesday on Truth Social that he signed an executive order extending the deadline.
ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, now has 90 additional days to reach a deal to divest from Chinese ownership. If no deal is finalized by the new deadline, TikTok could be pulled from U.S. app stores or shut down entirely for American users.
With TikTok facing increasing pressure from lawmakers over national security concerns, millions of creators and fans have been bracing for potential disruption. The delay means content creators can continue posting, livestreaming, and earning income through the app, at least for the summer.
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Has TikTok Been Banned?
TikTok hasn’t been banned in the U.S. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed into law under former President Joe Biden, set a deadline for ByteDance to sell the app or face restrictions. It gave ByteDance until January to comply, but that deadline has now been extended three times.
“I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025),” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The act was passed last year due to concerns that China could access American user data through the app.
Did Donald Trump Extend the TikTok Ban?
This week, Trump signed an order giving TikTok’s parent company 90 more days to secure a buyer or restructure in a way that removes Chinese ownership. Without a successful deal, the app could be blocked from operating in the U.S. It also opens the door to possible penalties or shutdowns through app stores and internet services following the September 17 deadline.
The latest extension is the third such delay issued by the Trump administration.
How Did TikTok Respond?
In a statement posted to its website, TikTok said: “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President Vance’s Office.”
List of Apps to Use as Alternatives to TikTok
If TikTok goes dark, creators and viewers still have options to keep sharing and discovering short-form videos. Here are some of the top alternatives:
YouTube Shorts: Built into the main YouTube app, Shorts offers a similar vertical video experience with strong monetization tools for creators.Instagram Reels: Instagram’s short-form video feature is closely modeled on TikTok and benefits from built-in access to a massive audience.Lemon8: An official sister app to TikTok, aimed at providing a similar experience to users.RedNote: A growing social media platform, particularly popular in China.Triller: Launched in 2015, Triller offers editing tools similar to TikTok but has AI integration on the editing platform.
Each platform has unique features, and some TikTok creators already cross-post content to expand their reach.
For now, TikTok continues to operate normally. The app remains available in the App Store and Google Play, allowing users to continue posting, commenting, and streaming as usual.
