With TikTok’s destiny within the U.S. unsure — its ban within the nation has been paused, however solely quickly, because of an govt order from President Donald Trump — the ByteDance-owned firm is now encouraging Android system house owners to sideload its video app onto their telephones and tablets.
The corporate introduced in a Friday X post that its Android app can be out there for direct obtain on the web site TikTok.com/obtain. This permits it to reap the benefits of an Android characteristic that lets customers obtain apps from outdoors the Google Play Retailer. An identical possibility isn’t but out there on iPhones outdoors the EU.
The Android app obtain is being made out there as an Android Bundle Equipment, extra generally generally known as an APK file, which comprises the app’s code, belongings, and different assets that TikTok must run.
By providing a standalone obtain, TikTok can at the very least quickly skirt the present app retailer ban, which nonetheless prevents each Google Play and Apple’s App Retailer from internet hosting the app whereas the ban’s enforcement stays paused.