TikTok now offers its Android app for download outside of Google Play

1 month ago 16
TikTok’s APK download is casual to sideload.

TikTok is present offering US downloads of the Android mentation of the app connected its ain website, the institution announced past night. With the change, Android users successful the United States present person an casual mode to download oregon update the app for the archetypal clip since Google removed it from Google Play past month successful effect to a US prohibition connected the app.

You tin download both TikTok and TikTok Lite, a mentation of the app designed to enactment with slower net connections. Once that’s done, you tin instal oregon update the app conscionable by opening the record and approving its installation. The process is speedy — I was capable to update to the astir caller mentation of TikTok connected my Pixel 6 successful astir arsenic overmuch clip arsenic it takes to get an app from Google Play.

We're enhancing ways for our assemblage to proceed utilizing TikTok by making Android Package Kits disposable astatine https://t.co/JoNVqKpnrS truthful that our U.S. Android users tin download our app and create, discover, and link connected TikTok.

More accusation astatine our Help Center:…

— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) February 8, 2025

Like Apple, Google requires app makers to travel certain rules to beryllium listed connected the Play Store — rules TikTok isn’t needfully bound to erstwhile offering the download connected its own. A TikTok help page claims that, nevertheless, the app “remains harmless and secure.” It says that TikTok’s root codification is inactive examined by Oracle and the “Independent Security Inspectors” that ByteDance selected past year pursuing erstwhile reported accusations that its Project Texas effort to partition disconnected its US operations from China and appease US lawmakers was “largely cosmetic.”

Google did not instantly respond to The Verge’s petition for comment.

Apple doesn’t let sideloading successful the US, truthful iPhone owners volition person to proceed using it successful a web browser portion waiting for Apple to reinstate the app connected the App Store. That whitethorn not hap anytime soon, arsenic neither Google nor Apple person seemed anxious to defy the prohibition and risk billions successful fines, contempt President Trump’s enforcement bid staying enforcement of it.

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