Sydney Twichell LLC

On January 19th 2025, social media managers everywhere wondered what they were going to do now that the most popular social media app was gone in the US. The ban caused massive chaos, and eventually President Trump delayed the ban which temporarily restored the app. 

Since then, I’ve been asked by many, what now? With such a popular app disappearing, and reappearing, those who rely on the app for an income are overwhelmed with the constant back and forth on whether the app is staying or not. The ban was only delayed, meaning there will still be an eventual death to the app in the US unless it is sold to an American company. 

As this has unfolded, I have kept an eye on all updates when it comes to the platform. So I was surprised when various outlets slowly started sharing the plans to create a new, American version of the app under the same company. Here is what we know now:

The new app is being referred to as “M2”. The platform is being designed and launched by ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, as an effort to allow users to continue the beloved app as they divest US TikTok operations under a government-mandated timeline. It is being reported that the current app will still be active until March 2026, at which point American users will need to download the new app to reach the platform. However, I would not be surprised if this timeline changed to either be a sooner or later shut down of the app. Additionally, President Trump has confirmed that he will be engaging in negotiations with China to finalize the TikTok deal.  

So, what does that mean for you and your business? When it looks like the death of an app you use for your business is quickly approaching, there are a few steps to follow:

Learn What You Can – with a new app coming, there will be a lot of new applications and features to learn, as well as the possibility of a new algorithm depending on the app. TikTok is unique in that its algorithm is very different from other platforms. The algorithm itself isn’t patented, however the technology and implementations are protected by patents owned by ByteDance. This means that the new app may have the unique algorithm because it comes from the same parent company, however it’s safe to say there will likely be big differences. 

Prepare Your Audience – The new app is set to drop September 5th, 2025. This gives users roughly 5 months to move their audience from TikTok to the new platform, and that is only if this current timeline is believed to be accurate. Because of this, you will want to post at least 2-3 times a week letting your audience know about your new profile and encourage them to follow you there. This will ensure you get your new profile out there just in case they decide to shut down TikTok sooner than March. If you want to spice up the transition process and make it an event, you can create a give away where everyone who is following you on the new platform by the time they shut down TikTok will be entered in a drawing. It makes the process a little more exciting instead of the doom and gloom we saw in January, and gives an incentive for your audience to keep following you even with the changes. 

Jump On The New App – As soon as the new app drops, you will want to download it and create two accounts. Two? Yep, two. The first one is your public, professional page. This will allow you to claim your handle, build the profile, and allow you to start funneling your followers there. The second profile is for you to learn on. This profile will be a private, personal account for you to study the new app. How does the recording work? Editing, sounds, filters, uploading, scheduling, everything you would need to know for your professional page. By having it on your personal page that is locked down, you will have more comfort and freedom to make mistakes along the way. 

As we learn more about this new app and the pending TikTok deal, don’t get overwhelmed or stressed. I will be here with all new updates, changes, and guidance for this transition and rocky future. Look at this as an opportunity to learn something new, and if you haven’t tried TikTok for your business yet, this new app may be the chance to dip your toes in.