TikTok Launching a U.S.-Only Version

TikTok is developing a dedicated version of its app exclusively for users in the United States, ahead of a potential sale to a group of American investors. The new version is expected to be available in U.S. app stores on September 5.

This development follows a recent statement by President Donald Trump, who announced that the U.S. will commence negotiations with China over a possible TikTok deal on July 7–8. He stated that the U.S. is “practically” on the verge of finalizing an agreement to sell the short-video platform.

According to insiders, U.S. users will need to download the new app version to continue using TikTok. The current app will remain functional until March next year, although that timeline may change.

The Trump administration extended the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets to September 17. TikTok has not commented, and independent verification of these plans is still pending.

In 2024, a proposal surfaced to create a new U.S. company to run TikTok, primarily controlled by American investors. However, implementation was halted after China threatened to block the deal following Trump’s announcement of increased tariffs on Chinese goods.

Trump also noted that the U.S. will likely need Chinese approval to finalize any deal.