TikTok Downloads Surge Following Return To US App Store

TikTok isn’t going anywhere just yet. According to Sensor Tower Data, in the five days since its return to US app stores, downloads have more than doubled. Competing apps like Chinese-based Xiaohongshu, also known as Rednote, saw brief surges during TikTok’s absence but are now experiencing a 91% decline in new downloads.

TikTok was removed from all US app stores for nearly a month following a brief blackout for US users on January 19 in response to the federal ban. Many users had deleted the app during the less than 12 hour ban and were not able to redownload after it turned back on.

According to Appfigures, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, lost out on approximately $142 million USD from American consumer spending during its month long app store absence. Currently, gross consumer spending on the app in the US averages around $4.7 million USD per day.

Not much is clear in regards to TikTok’s next move. President Trump, via executive order, has granted the company a 75 day extension in order to find a US-based buyer or face the federal ban. Over the course of the ban’s finalization, ByteDance rejected all notions of selling, but that has not stopped companies and entrepreneurs from throwing their hats in the ring. From content creator Mr. Beast to former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to Perplexity AI, numerous contenders have emerged in the race to “save” the app. Most recently, Wyoming entrepreneur Reid Rasner has proposed a bid of $50 billion USD for TikTok’s purchase.

While no official statements have been made as of yet, you can check back here for more updates as they come.