Will I Have TikTok If I Get a New Phone? You May, If You Have This Device

After TikTok went dark just hours before its scheduled Jan. 19, 2025, ban, Apple and Google Play removed the app to avoid financial penalties per user download. President Donald Trump then pledged to negotiate a deal with TikTok, thereby allowing it to restore services on devices where it was already installed.

However, those who deleted it prematurely are now out of luck — they no longer have the app and can’t download it again.

So, what happens if you get a new phone? Will TikTok still be available? Here's what feedback from TikTok users and Redditors revealed.

Based on feedback shared by Apple users on Reddit, if you purchase a new iPhone, you won't be able to download TikTok. This stands true even if you already have the app downloaded and are backing up your data and apps to restore your iCloud on a new device.

The reason is that Apple has not yet added TikTok back to the App Store. When you buy a new phone, even with a full backup of your old content, the app needs to be downloaded from iTunes, and since it's no longer available, it has nowhere to pull from.

This situation has sparked a wave of people flocking to platforms like eBay to purchase phones with TikTok already installed. Some sellers are listing devices for hundreds — and even thousands — of dollars above retail price. One eBay user had the audacity to price their Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max with TikTok installed at a staggering $15,000. We’re not kidding — check out a screenshot of the listing below.

It’s also causing Apple to lose sales. TikToker @oliviareiskin shared her frustration in a Jan. 24, 2025, video where she revealed she walked out of the Apple Store after learning TikTok couldn’t be downloaded on a new iPhone.

In the video, which appears to have been filmed after leaving the Apple Store, she walks away, clearly frustrated. She added a text overlay that reads: "When I go to the Apple Store to get a new iPhone & they tell me that on a new phone I won't be able to have TikTok bc they legally can't allow it to be on any new devices so I respectfully ask for my old phone to be reactivated."

Now, if you have an Android phone that runs on the Google Play Store, you might have better luck. Some users report no issues upgrading their phones while still accessing TikTok. Reddit user @Small_League2786 shared this reassuring update: "My son has a Samsung S24, and it transferred over fine with the data transfer to his new phone. I’m not sure about Apple."

Regardless of your phone type, you can still access TikTok on a desktop or laptop through a web browser. So, if you deleted the app or purchased a new phone without realizing you couldn’t re-download it, this serves as a suitable workaround until Trump resolves the logistics and Apple agrees to restore the app in the App Store.

Buying a new phone — especially an iPhone — has been a headache for some, as restoring their device or setting up a new Apple ID has caused them to lose TikTok. But it doesn’t stop there. Some users are also reporting issues with TikTok disappearing after updating their devices to the latest software.

One Redditor shared that after updating their iPad, TikTok vanished, prompting them to avoid updating their phone for now. Similarly, TikToker @_mandy.sue said she updated her phone and received a notice stating that TikTok couldn’t be installed because it’s no longer available on the App Store.

While some users in her comments claimed they updated their phones without losing TikTok, it’s unclear whether the app will stay intact after every update. To play it safe, it might be a good idea to hold off on updates until the situation is resolved.