TikTok Usage Rebounds in US After Brief Post-Ownership Dip

TikTok has climbed back above 90 million daily active users in the U.S. after a short-lived dip that followed a change in ownership of its American operations, according to estimates from digital market intelligence firm Similarweb.

In the days immediately after a group of American investors took control of TikTok’s U.S. operations, Similarweb estimated the app’s daily active users fell to around 86–88 million, down from a more typical average of roughly 92 million. The rebound suggests many of the users who briefly left have since returned.

Rival apps saw a spike and then a pullback

TikTok’s temporary wobble gave smaller competitors a momentary lift. Similarweb’s estimates show alternative video apps UpScrolled and Skylight Social gained users quickly as some people looked for substitutes.

• UpScrolled peaked at 138,500 daily active users on January 28, then dropped to 68,000.
• Skylight Social reached 81,200 daily active users, then fell to 56,300.

Skylight Social also reported that total user sign-ups rose to 380,000 as of late January.

Based on the reporting, the brief decline wasn’t attributed to the ownership change itself as much as user concerns about how the change might affect the TikTok experience. A key flashpoint was TikTok’s updated privacy policy, which granted the app permission to track users’ precise GPS location. The language appeared alongside the ownership shift and triggered privacy backlash, even as it may have been connected to tests of a “Nearby” feed that would surface videos from local creators.

Some users also flagged policy wording indicating TikTok may collect sensitive data such as “immigration status.” The article notes this reference was tied to disclosure requirements under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which obligates businesses to inform consumers if they collect certain sensitive data. TikTok’s disclosure can apply to information users share on the platform via their content.

TikTok also said a data centre outage had been resolved, attributing it to a winter-storm-driven power outage. With the outage issues addressed and users acclimating to the updated terms, Similarweb’s data shows usage moving back up.

While TikTok’s daily active users are recovering, Similarweb also pointed to a broader trend: TikTok usage had been slowly declining in the latter part of 2025. The firm estimated U.S. daily active users peaked at 100 million from July to October 2025, compared with the 90+ million seen now.