Is the Tiktok ban lifted? American users report being able to access the app again after it went dark

Hope may be on the horizon for millions of TikTok users as the social media platform has shown the first signs of recovery following its dramatic shutdown. 

TikTok appears to be 'back online' after some users report regaining access to the social media platform - with limited functionality - after the app went dark early Sunday.

Some users report now being able to view their own profiles while they are still unable to upload new content.

The exact number of users who have regained access is unclear. 

Scott Sutton, CEO of Later Media, confirmed the partial restoration on X (formerly Twitter): 'TikTok is back up and working on desktop! Seems services are slowly coming back online.'

Minutes later, Sutton noted the limitation of the app.

'TikTok app access is back, but no content other than mine loading, and all engagement history on posts is missing.'

However, TikTok has yet to make any official announcement about the restoration of the app. 

The development comes after the popular social media app went dark for 170 million Americans after the Supreme Court allowed a nationwide ban to take effect early Sunday.  

President-elect Donald Trump offered a  hope to devastated TikTok users, announcing he will sign an executive order on Monday to delay the ban on the popular app - just hours after it went dark for millions of Americans. 

The ban comes after Congress passed legislation requiring Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell its stakes by January 19, 2025.

With no deal materializing, the platform's fate now hangs in the balance, affecting some 170 million American users.

The Supreme Court's ruling affirmed that the ban does not violate users' First Amendment rights.