Apple users in the US can no longer download ByteDance's Chinese apps

March 7, 2026

Here's something that might surprise you — Apple has started blocking US users from downloading ByteDance’s Chinese apps, even if they have a Chinese App Store account. You see, ByteDance owns a ton of apps, including Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, which has over a billion monthly users. According to Zeyi Yang at Wired, up until recently, anyone with a Chinese App Store account could download these apps from anywhere. But now, Apple’s put in some technical restrictions — so even if your account is valid in China, you can’t download or update ByteDance’s Chinese apps on your US iPhone. This shift started in late January, and Wired reports that the block is specific to devices located in the US. So, what does this actually mean? Well, it’s a clear sign that US authorities are making it harder for Chinese apps to operate seamlessly here — and Apple’s playing along. And get this — no one’s entirely sure how long this will last, but it’s definitely a big change for users crossing borders digitally.

While TikTok operates in the United States under new ownership, Apple has deployed technical restrictions to block iOS users in the United States from downloading other apps made by the video platform’s Chinese parent organization ByteDance.

ByteDance owns a vast array of different apps spanning social media, entertainment, artificial intelligence, and other sectors. The leading one is Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, which has over 1 billion monthly active users. While most of those users reside in China, iPhone owners around the world have traditionally been able to download these apps from anywhere without using a VPN, as long as they have a valid App Store account registered in China.

That’s not true anymore. Starting in late January, iPhone users in the US with Chinese App Store accounts began reporting that they were encountering new obstacles when they tried to download apps developed by ByteDance. WIRED has confirmed that even with a valid Chinese App Store account, downloading or updating a ByteDance-owned Chinese app is blocked on Apple devices located in the United States.

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