TikTok Encourages Android Users Who Don’t Have the App to Try Sideloading

If you want to download TikTok on Android, there’s a new workaround.

Though TikTok is currently live and available to use for those who already have it on their phones, it’s not available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. App stores are not allowed to host the ByteDance-owned app under a US law that went into effect on Jan. 19. Though President Trump has delayed the implementation by at least 75 days, his approach is legally dubious (the law only allowed a 90-day delay if a divestiture was imminent), app stores are not taking any chances given that they face fines of $5,000 per user.

TikTok users who deleted the app from their phones in the 12 hours it was offline last month now have no way to getting it back, prompting some desperate and expensive workarounds.

TikTok’s social media accounts are now promoting Android package kits, which allow you to install apps on your Android phone without using Google’s official store.

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This practice, known as “sideloading,” allows you to use apps that haven’t received official stamps of approval from the main app stores, so you run the risk of downloading malicious or unvetted material onto your device.

“To protect your device from malicious software, we recommend downloading our app from the TikTok website and avoiding downloads from any other websites or QR codes,” TikTok says.

Apple forbids US-based users from installing apps from outside the App Store; it’s a little more complicated in the EU.

Getting the sideloaded version of TikTok might also require a little tinkering to work on some phones. Newer editions of the Samsung Galaxy line automatically block users from circumventing the Play Store—though the feature can be turned off.

For those who don’t want to deal with sideloading, TikTok is still freely available in the US via its web app, which you can access on desktop or mobile, though it might not have the same user experience as the app version.

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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