TikTok Down Again: Is the New US Deal Causing the Outage?

Tiktok down: Users claim outage, just days after Tiktok 'loses' its Chinese ownership in US

It was a Sunday morning scroll-fest turned into a digital dead end. On January 25, 2026, a wave of frustration swept across the United States as users opened their TikTok app only to find it frozen, glitching, or completely unresponsive. The timing couldn’t be more suspicious: this widespread TikTok down event came just days after the company finalized its historic, $14 billion deal to sever its operational ties with Chinese parent company ByteDance and establish a new, independent American entity.

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The Great TikTok Glitch of January 2026

The trouble started early on Sunday morning. According to real-time outage tracking site Downdetector, reports of a TikTok down situation began flooding in around 4:00 AM EST, peaking at over 35,000 user-submitted issues within a few hours . The problems were varied but universally annoying:

  • Feed Failures: The main “For You Page” (FYP) either wouldn’t load or displayed a blank screen.
  • Login Loops: Many users found themselves stuck in an endless cycle of trying to log back into their accounts.
  • App Crashes: The app would simply shut down upon opening for a significant number of people.
  • Upload Issues: Content creators were unable to post their latest videos, a critical problem during a major snow day when many were stuck indoors .

By the afternoon, the number of active outage reports had dwindled to around 4,600, suggesting that TikTok’s engineers were making progress in restoring service . However, the damage to user trust and the perfect storm of timing left a lasting impression.

Project Texas: A New Dawn for TikTok in the US?

This outage wasn’t just a random technical hiccup; it landed squarely in the middle of one of the biggest corporate shake-ups in tech history. Just days before, on Thursday, January 22, 2026, TikTok officially closed its long-negotiated deal to create a new, US-based company . This move, often referred to as “Project Texas,” was designed to address years of national security concerns from US lawmakers who feared the Chinese government could access American user data.

The $14 billion agreement effectively severs the operational control ByteDance once held over the US version of the app. The new American entity will manage all US user data, content moderation, and algorithmic operations, theoretically creating a firewall between the US platform and its Chinese origins . For millions of American users and countless content creators whose livelihoods depend on the platform, this deal was a huge sigh of relief, averting a potential nationwide ban.

Is the Outage Linked to the New US Deal?

The proximity of the TikTok down event to the finalization of Project Texas has fueled intense speculation online. While TikTok has not officially confirmed a direct link, the circumstantial evidence is hard to ignore. Major infrastructure changes of this magnitude—migrating data, rerouting traffic, and establishing new server protocols—are incredibly complex and prone to unforeseen bugs.

It’s highly plausible that the outage was a direct result of the backend systems being reconfigured to align with the new American corporate structure. Think of it as moving the entire digital foundation of a skyscraper while people are still living in it. A brief period of instability is almost inevitable. As one user on X (formerly Twitter) quipped, “This is most likely because (just like every time they do a big update) the system is switching” .

How the Outage Impacted Creators and Casual Scrollers

The impact of the outage was felt far beyond just a few hours of lost entertainment. For professional TikTok creators, the platform is their office, their storefront, and their community. An unexpected downtime, especially on a weekend which often sees high engagement, can mean lost revenue from sponsored posts, missed trends, and a drop in algorithmic visibility.

Casual users weren’t spared either. On a day marked by a major snowstorm across much of the country, TikTok serves as a primary source of news, connection, and distraction . Being cut off from this digital lifeline added to the sense of isolation for many. The outage reports showed that 65% of users experienced the app not working properly, while 23% faced a total blackout of the service .

What to Do If Your TikTok Is Still Acting Up

If you’re still experiencing issues with your TikTok app, here are some basic troubleshooting steps you can try before assuming the worst:

  1. Check Downdetector: Visit [Downdetector](https://downdetector.com/status/tiktok/) to see if there’s a widespread outage. There’s no point in troubleshooting if the problem is on their end.
  2. Force Close and Reopen: Sometimes a simple restart of the app can clear a temporary glitch.
  3. Update the App: Go to your device’s app store and ensure you have the latest version of TikTok installed.
  4. Clear Cache (Android): Go to your phone’s Settings > Apps > TikTok > Storage > Clear Cache.
  5. Reinstall the App: As a last resort, delete the app and reinstall it from the official app store. Make sure you know your login credentials!

For more tips on navigating social media platform issues, check out our guide on [INTERNAL_LINK:social-media-troubleshooting].

Conclusion: Growing Pains for a New American TikTok

The recent TikTok down event is likely a symptom of the platform’s massive transformation rather than a sign of deeper trouble. The finalization of Project Texas marks a new chapter for the app in the United States, one that promises greater data security and political stability. However, as with any major transition, there are bound to be growing pains. This outage serves as a stark reminder of just how complex and interconnected the digital infrastructure of our favorite apps truly is. For now, users can hope that this was a one-time event and that the newly independent American TikTok will run smoother than ever.

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