A social media influencer from TikTok is seen holding a sign that reads “Keep TikTok” in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington, DC. Photo credit goes to Kayla Bartkowski—Getty Images.
On the evening of Saturday, Jan. 18, when many TikTok influencers in the United States logged into their apps, they were anticipating their final moments of scrolling or posting. Instead, a message greeted them saying, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law prohibiting TikTok has been implemented in the U.S., meaning you cannot use the app at this time.”
This led to a period of uncertainty and unease for numerous prominent TikTok users as they scrambled to find new ways to engage with their followers. By Sunday afternoon, TikTok announced that it would gradually restore service for U.S. users who already had the app installed. The platform expressed gratitude to President-elect Trump, who had mentioned supporting Truth Social hours earlier and planned to issue an executive order to save TikTok upon his return to the White House on Monday.
Following the app’s shutdown on Saturday night, leading U.S. TikTok influencers responded with a mix of disappointment and resigned humor as they faced their first day without the platform. Some influencers turned to alternative social media platforms, mainly Instagram.
Charli D’Amelio, a popular TikTok star who has transitioned to Broadway’s & Juliet, shared reels on Instagram on Saturday night, humorously saying, “Hey reels, how we doing? We’re here.” She later posted a video on Instagram showcasing “the first TikTok dance she ever learned.”
Despite having a significant audience on Instagram with 42.8 million followers, D’Amelio’s TikTok following of 156.8 million surpasses it by a large margin.
Similarly, other top influencers utilized different social media outlets to express gratitude to their followers and reminisce about their time on TikTok. Jojo Siwa, recognized from Dance Moms and Dancing with the Stars, shared old videos on Instagram. Siwa, with over 45 million TikTok followers, posted a compilation of her popular TikTok videos on Instagram, expressing gratitude for the memories made.
Spencer X, a musician and beatboxer who gained fame on TikTok with nearly 55 million followers, also turned to Instagram during the ban. He shared on his Instagram story his emotions about the impact TikTok had on his life, thanking the platform for everything.
YouTuber Larri Merrit, known as “Larray,” documented on his Instagram story the emotional reaction he and Quenlin Blackwell had after TikTok became unavailable. Larray, with 27.5 million TikTok followers and 6.5 million Instagram followers, encouraged his audience to support their favorite creators on other platforms during this transition.
Alix Earle, a TikTok and media personality recognized for her vlog-style content
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