The future of TikTok is yet to be determined.
Hours after President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, he signed an executive order stalling a ban on the social media app by 75 days. The deadline for that extension was set to April 5.
Trump first attempted to ban TikTok in 2020, signing an executive order that was ultimately blocked by courts.
During Joe Biden’s presidency, Congress revisited the idea of a TikTok ban, ultimately passing a bill that Biden signed into law in April 2024. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act requires TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell to a U.S. owner, amid national security concerns regarding the possibility that the Chinese government uses the app to spy on users.
Though there’s been some evidence of monitoring on the app — Forbes alleged in 2022 that TikTok had spied on its journalists — ByteDance has denied involvement with the Chinese government.
The company sued the U.S. over violating First Amendment rights after the law was passed, but the Supreme Court upheld the decision, per the Associated Press.
With the new ban deadline just weeks away, American TikTok users have questions about its future. Here’s everything to know about what may happen to TikTok on April 5.
Will the TikTok ban go into effect on April 5?
Whether or not TikTok will be unavailable to U.S. users on or after April 5 depends on if ByteDance sells to an American buyer. However, Trump told reporters on March 6 that he would “probably” extend his original extension.
“We have a lot of interest in TikTok,” the president said, per Forbes. “So hopefully China will approve of the deal.”
According to the legislation, Trump is only allowed to extend the deadline for 90 days if there is evidence that ByteDance is making efforts towards a sale, per NBC.
Who wants to buy TikTok?
In early March 2025, Trump told reporters that “a lot of people want” TikTok and that he was dealing with “four different groups,” per AP. Exactly who those four groups are wasn’t disclosed, but some companies and notable figures have publicly put in their bid for the app.
Serena Williams’ husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is part of a consortium called “The People’s Bid for TikTok” led by billionaire Frank McCourt. If they win, the group said they plan to redesign the app using blockchain technology that would give users more control over their data, AP reported.
When an X user asked Ohanian what he would rename the app, he replied, “TikTok: Freedom Edition.”
Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary — known on the show as “Mr. Wonderful” — also joined the consortium in January 2025. That same month, TikTok and YouTube star MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, claimed on X that he would buy the app “so it doesn’t get banned.”
His lawyer later confirmed to CNN that the internet personality was serious.
How much longer will TikTok be available?
Under Trump’s executive order, the ban on TikTok will not be enforced by Attorney General Pam Bondi until April 5.
The app’s availability past that deadline is unclear and depends on whether or not the U.S. can broker a sale between ByteDance and an American party. In the case a deal is not reached, Bondi may also decide to not enforce the law.
What will happen to TikTok on April 5?
If TikTok isn’t sold to a U.S. company or group by the April 5 deadline, then the ban put in place by the original law will go into effect.
However, Trump has been vocal about extending the deadline and it is unclear whether or not Bondi would enforce the ban.
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