TikTok is no longer available in the United States — at least not yet. But that’s not the only ByteDance-owned app currently blocked for US-based users. Shortly before the federally mandated January 19 deadline, TikTok cut off access to anyone trying to access the app from the US. “The law banning TikTok has been implemented in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use the TikTok app right now,” read the block screen facing US users when they tried to open the app. Trump has indicated that he will work on a solution to restore TikTok if he takes office! The parent company of TikTok, which is based in China and is at the heart of a controversy over the popular video app that, at least as of Saturday, had 170 million users in the US, video editing app CapCut, photo and video sharing app Lemon8, and others have now it’s dark in the US. A federal law passed last year bans applications owned by ByteDance from being used in the US on the grounds of national security the company provides data to the Chinese government and intelligence agencies, the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) requires ByteDance to sell TikTok and other apps to entities not based in China on Sunday. That sale didn’t happen. As a result, TikTok began blocking US-based users on Saturday, January 18, before the midnight deadline. Because PAFACA bans all applications operated by ByteDance, not just TikTok, users of various other applications face the same restrictions. PAFACA does not require ByteDance to block users of US-based applications. However, it prohibits US companies from providing any services to “distribute, maintain or update” ByteDance-owned apps. As a result, many of these apps are no longer available in the Apple and Google app stores. That may change after Donald Trump takes office on Monday, but the US president-elect has indicated that he plans to extend TikTok’s sales period by 90 days. Yes, it’s all confusing. Currently, here is a list of all apps that US users cannot access due to the US ban on ByteDance-owned apps. TikTok, TikTok Studio, TikTok Store Seller, TikTok Lite Not only TikTok, but other applications owned by ByteDance that can be used for the TikTok ecosystem are also not available together with the main application. These include TikTok Studio (for creators to manage content and check analytics), TikTok Store Seller (for e-commerce sellers in the app to manage business operations), and TikTok Lite (a smaller and faster version of the original app that is only available in certain . country).CapCutCapCut is a free video editing tool, optimized for vertical videos that can be posted on TikTok. Often the app-of-choice for amateur creators because of its professional features. Some creators also use CapCut to create videos first before uploading to platforms other than TikTok.Lemon8ByteDance released Lemon8 in February 2023 as a photo-based social media app. Known for its similarity to RedNote, a very successful social media app in China that has also been the target of many TikTok users in exile this week. Some TikTok users have also chosen to switch to Lemon8, but the application is also offline.GauthWith Gauth, students can take pictures of their homework, and the application will use artificial intelligence to understand the problem and provide step-by-step solutions. It also has other features that help students be more productive while studying. According to the app’s shutdown announcement this weekend, it has “helped 300 million users with billions of queries.” HypicHypic, launching in 2022, is a photo editing tool with a focus on generative AI tools. It uses AI to help users improve the quality of their photos or turn them into cartoons.LarkLark is a Slack-like workspace communication app. Originally created for ByteDance’s own internal messages between employees, it has now become one of the most used office communication applications in China, with several million active users. Melolo, Fizzo, MyTopia BooksPoligon, a Singapore-based subsidiary of ByteDance, publishes several applications which offers users to watch short vertical dramas (Melolo) or read fictional novels online (Fizzo and MyTopia Books). MyTopia Books is the only application that has not ended support for US-based users, and is still available in the US Apple App Store.TokopediaTokopedia is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Indonesia. It was acquired by ByteDance in December 2023 and merged with the TikTok Shop operation in the country after the Indonesian government banned the application, citing “the need to protect the data of merchants and smaller users.” It is no longer available in the Apple App Store but remains. available in the US Google Play Store at the time of publication.
