TikTok to Launch New App for US Users in September

TikTok will launch a new U.S.-exclusive version of its app on app stores on September 5, as part of an ongoing effort to comply with federal legislation requiring the divestment of its American operations due to national security concerns, The Information reports.

The existing version of TikTok, internally codenamed "M," will be removed from U.S. app stores on the day of the new app's debut, and users will be directed to download the replacement version, internally referred to as "M2."

U.S. TikTok users will need to migrate to the new version in order to maintain access to the platform beyond March 2026. The current app will cease functioning after that date.

Apple does not allow developers to create region-specific forks of apps within a single listing, meaning TikTok is required to distribute "‌M2‌" as a distinct bundle identifier under a new App Store entry. The move is unusual for an app of TikTok's scale, especially given its estimated 170 million U.S. users. All user data will reportedly be transferred to U.S.-based infrastructure as part of the switch.

The decision to release a separate app for the United States follows the passage of a law by Congress mandating that Chinese parent company ByteDance either sell its U.S. TikTok business or face a nationwide ban. The U.S. version of the app will then will be managed under the oversight of a U.S.-based ownership group, including Oracle.

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