TikTok is getting ready to launch a new app just for users in the United States. The move is part of a larger plan to separate its US operations from its parent company in China, ByteDance, and possibly allow a sale to American investors.
The new app is expected to launch by September 5, 2025. People who already have TikTok will be able to use it for a little while longer, but the current version is likely to stop working in the US by March 2026, Technobaboy said.
After that, users will need to download and switch to the new app. According to insiders, TikTok employees have been working hard behind the scenes to build a separate US version.
This includes copying code, features, and even the app's recommendation algorithm — the powerful system that shows users videos they might like.
This new version will use only data from US users and operate on its own system, similar to how TikTok has a separate version called Douyin for users in China.
The effort, known inside the company as "M2," is meant to meet new US laws requiring TikTok to break away from Chinese control or face a possible ban. In 2024, Congress passed a law giving ByteDance until January 2025 to sell TikTok or shut it down in the US.
It's official that tiktok is developing an app for the United States only, and the app we are on now, will be banned in the US next year. Tiktok US Will be launched on September 5th. This is sad news for tiktok. pic.twitter.com/DY4ijVBU8l
— jabukyStudios (@JabukyStudios) July 6, 2025
ByteDance Faces Pressure to Sell TikTok's US Operations
Many US lawmakers are worried that TikTok, through ByteDance, could give American user data to the Chinese government or be used to influence public opinion.
While TikTok has denied these claims, the company began moving all US user data to servers within the country earlier this year, managed by Oracle.
The push to create a standalone US app comes alongside growing interest from a group of American investors.
According to Reuters, that group is said to include firms like KKR, General Atlantic, and Blackstone, with Oracle also likely to take a stake.
ByteDance would still own a minority portion, but most of the control would shift to the new American-led company.
However, China's government must approve the sale. In the past, it has blocked similar deals, especially those involving technology like TikTok's algorithm, which is considered one of ByteDance's most valuable assets.
While it's not yet clear if the sale will go through, former President Donald Trump said talks with China will continue. "I think the deal is good for China and it's good for us," he recently told reporters.
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