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UC Irvine | Culture

TikTok Ban Updates Explained- And How You Can Still Download It

Marlo Mulligan Student Contributor, University of California - Irvine
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Irvine chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

We’ve all heard about the looming TikTok ban that had caused Americans to lose access to the app for 14 hours. Although the ban has recently been halted by President Trump for 75 days- ending on April 5, 2025- Americans who have deleted the app are still unable to access it, as the app is still unavailable for download in the U.S. App Store. Even though the ban has been temporarily unenforced- for now- the legislation that implements the ban is still in effect. Now, Americans who deleted TikTok are regretting their decision, as it seems to be irreversible.

 However, there is a workaround that has successfully worked for many American users who want to redownload TikTok. If you’re looking to redownload the app, follow these steps: 

First, you’ll want to download a VPN from the App Store. When you have the VPN app downloaded, change the location to anywhere outside the United States that doesn’t have TikTok banned, such as Canada or the UK. 

Once you’ve done this, you’re gonna go to your phone’s settings, or the settings in your app store, and change the location in “Media and Purchases” to the same one you chose for your VPN under the “Country/Region” tab. Follow the prompts to update your country settings. Note: you may have to cancel any ongoing subscriptions you have when prompted to do so. You’ll also need to add a place of residence. I recommend just looking up a local coffee shop in the Country you chose and putting the address in. When providing a new payment method, select “None”. 

Next, After changing your App Store region successfully, make sure that you completely turn off your phone and leave it off for a few minutes. Then, turn it back on. This step is crucial to lock in your settings and make sure that your phone has adjusted to the changes you’ve made.

 Once your phone is back on, log back onto the App Store, search for TikTok, and download it normally. After following these steps, you should be able to access the app again. You can also change your location back to the United States and sign in again after the app has been safely downloaded on your phone.  

Although TikTok’s future is still uncertain in the United States, keeping TikTok for as long as possible is important for those who rely on it for entertainment, content creation, and their businesses. With the app’s accessibility up in the air, all we can do for now is enjoy it while we still can.

Marlo Mulligan

UC Irvine '26

Marlo grew up in Inglewood and Lake Elsinore in her early childhood, moving to Irvine to continue her studies as an English major. She has had a love for reading and writing and has been passionate about the two since she was a kid. She has worked as a journalist, is apart of various clubs on the UCI campus, and has worked as an editor and writer for Consonancie. When she is not reading or writing, she enjoys going to the beach, traveling, trying new restaurants, and boxing. She loves thrill seeking activities as well, such as skydiving and kayaking.