Well, that didn’t last long.

The federal government’s ban on popular shortform video-sharing app TikTok spanned mere hours Sunday.

ByteDance, the China-based company that owns TikTok, began making the app unavailable in the United States late Saturday as the official outlawing date – Jan 19. – loomed. U.S. users were greeted with a message that indicated TikTok wasn’t available in their country due to the ban.

However, by Sunday, TikTok was already restoring service in the U.S. and TikTokers were again able to create, like, share and scroll. The restoration came after President Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order that extends the time before the ban takes effect, possibly by 90 days. Trump said he’d also like to see 50% U.S. ownership in TikTok.

“Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it,” Trump said at a rally on Sunday. He added that the U.S. will seek a joint venture to restore the app used by 170 million Americans.

While a ban can’t completely be ruled out, it appears unlikely at this point that TikTok will be outlawed in the U.S.

U.S. TikTok users were greeted with this message while the app was unavailable on Jan. 19.

“Thank you for your patience and support,” TikTok said in a statement users saw when logging back in after the app became available again in the U.S. “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S. You can continue to create, share and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”

Promo Pros Relieved

Marketers and creatives in the promotional products industry, like those across sectors, have embraced TikTok. They use the platform to learn about and tap into trends, bolster the reach of their brands, engage with clients, attract prospects and even sell directly, in instances.

Some promo pros were smarting at the prospect of the TikTok ban, saying if it remained in effect that it would do everything from significantly impact marketing strategies to hurt sales. They were relieved the outlawing was short-lived.

TikTok welcomed U.S. users back to the platform with this message after service was restored Sunday, Jan. 19.

Hixson, TN-based promo distributor Flywheel Brands (asi/212986) leverages TikTok to create and distribute content that helps drive business. Katie Roudkovski, a marketing specialist at Flywheel Brands who spearheads the efforts, was pleased the TikTok outage was brief.

“With TikTok being one of the biggest and most engaged social user bases globally, I’m happy to be able to continue to share content on the platform,” Roudkovski told ASI Media. “The short-form video content and viral trends play a central role in shaping online culture.”

Ohio-based distributorship Hasseman Marketing (asi/221824) has also utilized TikTok as part of its brand-building efforts. Founder/CEO Kirby Hasseman was encouraged that the firm would continue to be able to use the app as part of its marketing strategy.

“I’m excited,” Hasseman told ASI Media. “We have put resources toward growing our audience on TikTok. And to be fair, as a consumer, I enjoy it.”

Taylor Ebersole, social media manager at ASI, called the swift restoration of TikTok “a significant win for creators and marketing teams everywhere. TikTok continues to be a leader in social media strategy.”

Legislation that President Joe Biden inked into law last spring gave TikTok’s Beijing-headquartered ByteDance until Sunday, Jan. 19 to sell the platform or be banned in the U.S. Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers supported the ban, saying that TikTok is a national security threat.

Legislators had expressed concern that ByteDance would share American user data with the Chinese government. They were also worried that authorities in China use the app to spread misinformation and other nefarious influence in the U.S.