TikTok voluntarily shut down service ahead of the controversial ban which took effect on Sunday. However, the social media app gave users the option to download their data despite losing service.
TikTok sent a pop-up to users on Saturday evening saying, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
If users click on Learn More, at the bottom of the page, it reads, “In the meantime, you can still download your data.” Users can log into their account, click on “download your data,” and select data to download.
The ban followed the Supreme Court’s decision this week upholding the new law which would bar the popular social media platform in the U.S.
President Biden announced that his administration will not enforce the ban in its final hours, leaving enforcement up to the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump vowed to “save” the app, telling NBC News that he will “most likely” extend usage for 90 more days.
“If I decide to do that,” Trump said, “I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
However, TikTok has indicated that despite a 90-day extension, it would still pull itself offline once the law is in effect. The social media app wrote in a statement Friday that, “Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19.”
In response to that statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Saturday called TikTok’s latest statement “a stunt.”
How to request your TikTok data on mobile
1. Click on Learn More when the “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now” pop-up comes up
2. Click on the blue “log in”
3. Log into your account
4. Click “download your data”
5. Select data to download
6. When your request is put through, under Download data, you can click Download
How to request your TikTok data on desktop if you are outside the U.S.
TikTok is no longer available on desktop platforms in the U.S. However, if you are outside the U.S., here is how to request your data. Keep in mind that receiving your information could take a few days.
- Open your web browser and go to TikTok’s website.
- Log into your account by clicking the top right Log In button.
- Once logged in, toggle over your profile photo in the top right corner.
- Click Settings.
- In Manage Account, under the heading Data, click Download your data.
- In the Download TikTok Data page, you can choose what information you want to request. Pick what you’d like, for example, all data or just your own profile and posts, and choose the file format you want.
- Click Request Data
- It might ask you to verify your account.
Then, once TikTok has filled your request, you’ll have four days to download your data.
- When your data is ready, go back to the Download TikTok Data page and under the Download Data tab, click Download.
- The file will download as a zip file.
Here’s how to view your posts from the text file:
- Click on the zip file that downloaded to your device
- Click on the folder titled “Tiktok”
- Click on posts
- Open the text file
- Copy the link (It will not bring you to the app)
- Paste it into your web browser
- Watch your video
A few notes:
The data sent is not always comprehensive. TikTok says it will not send you data that “affects the privacy of others.”
Your saved videos will download as TikTok links, not downloadable videos.
If you do not receive all of your posts, try downloading them one by one, manually.