TikTok's Crash-Out - What's Next For 2025?

TikTok, being in its "crash-out" era, was not on users' 2025 bingo card.

With the ongoing threat of the eventual TikTok ban, small business owners and users alike are worried about the ten-minute posting app being gone for good.

However, what happened entirely was not what users expected from January 18 - January 19, 2025.

What's the tea, sis? This was the entire timeline of events.

The app went utterly dark, Saturday night going into Sunday morning.

This pushed influencers and users to do the "Lying Trend" "before the blackout.

The trend consisted of using a Family Guy sound and a text admitting to past misdeeds or false claims of what the influencer did.

However, this did not result in what most influencers had hoped -- backlash occurred when the app returned after twelve hours, and fans of these influencers picked apart previous videos.

From admitting to not doing ALL the workouts posted in the videos, not drinking the coffee, or not even eating the cooked food in the short form content.

The app message read: “Due to a U.S. law, TikTok will be temporarily unavailable starting January 19. We're working to restore service and appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.”

Apple, therefore, was obligated to follow the laws according to the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.

Apple also stated that app users could not reinstate or install it after deleting it during those twelve hours, and the app "went dark."

So, where did users flock to once they were out of options?

The answer is Rednote, China's answer to both Instagram and TikTok.

The app became popularized by travel bloggers, beauty gurus, and fashion influencers.

During TikTok's "going dark era," US mobile downloads for Rednote, also known as Redbook in some articles, increased.

The migration of US users to yet another Chinese-owned app has been a success on both ends of the social media spectrum.

As February presses on with the looming TikTok ban, time will tell how Rednote reacts to this sudden increase in followers and users.

This new social media trend begs the question: will Instagram and Snapchat users also jump their ships?