TikTok owner ByteDance is working on a new US-only version of its popular vertical video app that would replace the current one ahead of a September deadline for the Chinese company to divest ownership in the US, The Information reports.
Citing anonymous sources, the site reports that the new app, codenamed “M2” would launch on Sept. 5 and would require users in the US to switch from the existing app to the new one. President Donald Trump recently extended a deadline for the owner to sell off its US-based TikTok assets to Sept. 17. Earlier this month, Trump said he found a buyer for the company, a group of “very, very wealthy people.”
The administration has continued to extend deadlines for TikTok to remain operational since January. The company reportedly has 170 million users in the US.
A representative for TikTok did not immediately return a request for comment.
According to the story, the reason for the new app version is also due to an Apple App Store restriction that does not allow multiple versions of an app for different regions to appear in the same listing.
What this means for you
If the report is accurate, it would mean that, at the very least, anybody who uses the TikTok mobile app would eventually be required to migrate to a new US-centric app version.
But there’s likely to be a lengthy grace period, according to The Information’s sources: the old app may not disappear completely until March 2026, giving TikTok users six months to make the transition.
Still, it could be disruptive for those whose business or brand relies on the platform. “Anytime there is a migration or a major feature revamp on any network, it certainly creates work and worry,” said Jennie Smythe, an author and founder and CEO of Girlilla Marketing, which has worked with clients including Willie Nelson, Terry Crews and Iliza Shlesinger.
“There are concerns that audiences will also make the move and if the migration will be worth the effort,” Smythe told CNET in an email. “The bigger concern besides the migration are the features and data that will be available to us in the creator economy as well as the audience restrictions (i.e. is our content/audience also restricted to US only?).”
It’s unclear if the new app would include any other major changes or improvements over the existing app or if it would restrict or filter viewing content from other regions in ways that differ from the current version.