
Amid the ongoing policy shuffle in the US over the Chinese app TikTok with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new President, several users have been unable to install the app on their iPhones. This has led to an increase in demand for phones with the app installed with sellers listing ads for the devices for thousands of dollars.
The temporary ban on the app on January 19 and the subsequent lifting of the ban has led to a TikTok frenzy in the USA, as content creators and influencers are ready to pay exorbitant prices for the iPhones that have the short-video platform installed.
TikTok went dark on January 18 at midnight, though only for 12 hours. It was later granted a 75-day reprieve by President Trump to resolve its issues and continue operating in the US temporarily. The administration has given the app’s owners this window to negotiate the sale of its US operations, with tech mogul Elon Musk emerging as a leading contender for its acquisition.
TikTok unavailable to install in US
TikTok, reportedly used by 170 million Americans, was unavailable for download on both Android and iPhones on January 19.
When the app was inaccessible during the initial ban, several ‘TikTokers’ or TikTok influencers attempted to reinstall it, hoping that it would resolve the issue. They were stunned to realize that it was unavailable to download, despite the 75-day relief.
“If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can’t be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device,” a statement from the iPhone manufacturer cautioned American users. A similar situation remained for Android users in the country as well.
Used iphone with TikTok for Rs….
In desperation to access the app and revive their accounts, several users began quoting prices they were ready to pay for an iPhone that had access to TikTok.
This led to the phone’s price in the second-hand market skyrocketing, with an asking price of up to USD 5 million, close to Rs 43 crore, on some ads. Though it seems like a very unrealistic ask, there are more ‘reasonably’ priced postings with an asking price in the ballpark of a few thousand Dollars, ranging from USD 800-USD 1,00,000.