To abide by American law, TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, must sell the app to someone who will operate it within the US.

Launching a U.S.-specific app could be part of the company's broader plan to comply with a 2024 law requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok.

TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has plans to move Americans to a US-specific version of CapCut as it looks to meet requirements for a divest-or-ban law.

It’s looking increasingly likely that any sale of TikTok will mean US users have to download a new app. And that could mean an almost entirely different experience.

If ByteDance does release a new version of TikTok, users will need to migrate to the new app, a process that will likely only require downloading the new app and logging in with your credentials. If the new TikTok app is does become available for download, users will have until March 2026 to migrate.

ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, is developing a backup plan as it faces a deadline to sell its US operations or risk a

TikTok is preparing to launch a standalone app for US users that is expected to operate on a separate algorithm and data system from its global app, laying the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

An app just for U.S. users, which looks set to run on an algorithm and data system that’s separate from TikTok’s global platform, could pave the way for a possible sale.

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 is building a new version of its app for users in the United States ahead of a planned sale of the app to a group of investors, The Information reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.