"Real ones never deleted it": Users crack jokes as TikTok and CapCut officially return to the U.S. App Store

TikTok, and companion apps CapCut and Lemon8, have returned on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the United States as of February 14, 2025. Following a temporary and tumultuous ban, the internet's go-to doom-scrolling machine has made its return in an official capacity.

This resume follows a contentious legal battle about national security concerns connected to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

Nearly a month has passed since TikTok was removed from these platforms due to legislation that mandated the app's U.S. operations be separated from ByteDance by January 19, 2025, or face banishment.

Social media has erupted in hilarious takes over the news. One X (ex-Twitter) user stated:

"Real ones never deleted it"

Accompanied by a hilarious GIF, a user mentioned:

"People who paid $10k for phones with TikTok just for it to return back to App Store:"

A user said:

"Thank God my kid was looking like this"

A user joked:

"US citizens can now cancel y’all trips to the boarder just to download these app! 🤣😂"

A user went on to mention:

"Bruh I had to do quantum physics to get ts back yesterday ARE U TROLLING😭😭😭"

A user quipped:

"LETS gooooooo, time to do some 3am scroll sessions."

A user humorously stated:

"Damn so I can’t steal my friends phones and delete the app no more?"

A user hilariously lamented:

"Imagine spending $10,000 on a phone with TikTok just for it to come back a few weeks later😭"

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U.S. vs. TikTok

The legal challenges started when former President Joe Biden signed into law a bill to minimize national security threats from foreign app ownership, such as TikTok.

The law compelled ByteDance to divest its U.S. business or be banned, and thus TikTok was taken down from app stores on January 18, 2025.

Despite all the problems, TikTok continued to work for existing users who had already installed the app, though new users could not use it.

On his initial day in office on January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that postponed the ban's implementation by seventy-five days.

ByteDance was given extra time to complete the sale of TikTok's US business as a result of this action.

However, Google and Apple were reluctant to relist the software because they did not want to run the danger of facing legal repercussions for breaking the law.

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Government and legal procedure

The legislation was validated by the Supreme Court on January 17, and it reacted by performing earnest legal acrobatics. The company stood against the legislation but was eventually handed a daunting timeline for the sale of assets or delisting in America.

Negotiations continued, with Trump proposing that a joint venture would make US companies capable of investing in TikTok and dispense national security concerns while also allowing the application to remain up and running.

The return of TikTok was after the letter of US Attorney General Pam Bondi, guaranteeing Apple and Google that they would not be fined for owning the app during this brief time.

Due to legal uncertainties, both digital titans had been hesitant to restore TikTok, so this guarantee was crucial.

And lo and behold, TikTok reappeared in the app stores on Valentine's Day.

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What comes next?

TikTok maintains its position as a popular downloaded application even though it faces ongoing legal challenges in the United States with its 170 million users.

TikTok faces an uncertain future due to both demanding US laws and its requirement to sell its company before April 5, 2025, because another ban might follow.

For now, content creators can feel at ease while marketers launch their hashtag campaigns and users can return to their typical life browsing habits.