TikTok has suddenly gone offline in the U.S.

Users expecting a steady stream of short videos received a notification around 10:30 p.m. ET, just 90 minutes before the shutdown time, stating: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”

The message explained, “A law prohibiting TikTok has been enforced in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means you cannot access TikTok at the moment.” It added, “We are hopeful that President Trump will collaborate with us to find a way to bring TikTok back once he assumes office. Please stay tuned!”

Following the ban, app store providers and web hosting services could incur significant penalties for allowing TikTok access to American users. The application has been removed from Apple and Google’s app stores. According to The Information, the cloud service provider Oracle instructed its staff to deactivate the servers running TikTok.

TikTok’s sudden exit has left over 170 million monthly users stranded, many of whom integrated the highly addictive app into their everyday routines. This includes teens keeping track of friends and trends, as well as creators who relied on the platform for their livelihood and aspirations for fame.

Users are now facing the challenge of life without TikTok.

Prior to the shutdown, one user posted a video featuring himself in a bathrobe and cowboy boots, dragging a suitcase and a bottle of laundry detergent. He told his more than 300,000 followers: “Me arriving in China on Jan. 19 so I can still use TikTok.”

“It feels like summer camp has ended, and we will never see our camp friends again,” another user commented on the viral video. “I’m genuinely going to miss all of you so much,” wrote yet another fan.

As the night progressed, fans took to other social media platforms to express their grief.

“I just watched TikTok shut down in real time. It started with likes and comments stopping, then saving was disabled, then new videos wouldn’t load, and finally, I was logged out,” one user recounted on X. “The last TikTok I managed to see was someone joyfully dancing to ‘if I were a fish.’”

TikTok Ban: A Long Farewell

The future of TikTok had been uncertain for weeks.

Fears that Beijing might manipulate the app’s content and gather sensitive user information led to a ban mandated by Congress unless TikTok’s U.S. operations were sold. On Friday, the Supreme Court justices upheld the ban, leaving the company with no legal recourse.

President-elect Donald Trump is exploring options to delay the ban, but TikTok chose not to wait for a last-minute stay and decided to shut down.

CEO Shou Chew expressed gratitude to Trump in a video, stating, “More updates will follow.”

Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives noted that there are likely significant behind-the-scenes activities from both financial and tech buyers interested in acquiring the valuable TikTok asset.

James A. Lewis, a technology policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggested that TikTok might face regrets for shutting down while its future is uncertain.

“Once they shut down, their market value plummets, and they will likely struggle to regain those users,” Lewis mentioned. “The critical aspect is TikTok’s dedicated user base, the 170 million passionate users who adore the app. There’s a strong desire to acquire them before the value increases dramatically. Hence, it’s quite a risky move for TikTok.”

TikTok: America’s Hub of Pop Culture

There’s still a chance for TikTok to make a comeback in the U.S. if Trump finds a workaround or if it sells off its operations here. Chinese officials have floated the possibility of allowing Elon Musk to invest in or assume control of TikTok’s U.S. branch. Trump mentioned to NBC News that he anticipates a “most likely” 90-day hold.

At this moment, however, such developments offer little comfort to the devoted TikTok users, especially those who grew up with the app.

Despite its Chinese origins, TikTok became a prominent force in American pop culture.

Unlike other platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat, TikTok thrived on spontaneous videos from strangers that users eagerly shared with friends.

Driven by a confidential algorithm, TikTok became hugely popular during the Covid-19 pandemic and maintained its momentum thereafter.

Americans became so engrossed in various content, from opinion pieces to news highlights, and from skincare advice to sports, that many remarked their addictive “For You” page seemed to know more about them than they did themselves.

This captivated audience made TikTok a significant influencer within Hollywood, on Madison Avenue, and even in consumer shopping, where viral items flew off the shelves after trending on the app.

TikTok has both positives (raising funds for those in need, providing laughs, offering comfort in grief) and negatives (glorifying school shootings, amplifying white supremacy). While facing criticism for exposing young people to dangers, it has also fostered a sense of community for many, particularly those exploring their identities, such as those in the LGBTQ+ community.

Jennifer Grygiel, an associate professor of communications at Syracuse University who studies social media, emphasized that TikTok was more than just shopping and dance trends, stating, “Many found community on TikTok that they couldn’t find on platforms like X or Instagram.”

What’s Next for TikTok Users?

Typically, major social media networks die a slow death, losing relevance and users as they are replaced by innovative newcomers, much like how Facebook overtook Myspace.

The situation with TikTok is distinct. It is exiting the scene at the peak of its popularity, caught in the middle of a geopolitical conflict that many of its younger American users find hard to understand.

Since April, when President Joe Biden enacted a law to address national security issues, TikTok’s future has been uncertain. Users watched the battle unfold as the Chinese parent company ByteDance and creators rallied alongside TikTok in court, asserting that a sale is unfeasible and the ban unconstitutional.

While users attempted to remain calm amid the uncertainty (another TikTok trend), many chose not to wait for the Supreme Court’s verdict or the federal ban to take effect. They began exploring new alternatives, with RedNote topping the download charts.

“The protest sentiment began to rise even before TikTok’s closure,” Grygiel noted. “The public didn’t wait for TikTok’s decision; they acted preemptively.”

So where will users migrate now? India serves as a warning for TikTok enthusiasts searching for a suitable substitute. No clear replacement awaits them in the app store.

Standard platforms like Instagram and YouTube might see a temporary increase in users as creators encourage their followers to switch there, but they do not resonate with younger audiences in the same way.

A multitude of imitation services didn’t adequately fill the void for young adults in India, many of whom are still grieving the app’s absence five years after it was banned.

(This story was updated with additional information.)