What happens to TikTok now? A user’s guide to a possible ban.

A ban on TikTok could be just days away.

The Supreme Court is likely the only possible immediate reprieve for a nationwide TikTok ban that could come as soon as Sunday. The court is expected to decide soon whether to let the law that could ban TikTok go into effect.

If a ban on TikTok happens this weekend, it could last forever or maybe just weeks or days. Donald Trump will take office as president on Monday after pledging to save TikTok - though it’s not clear whether or how he might do it.

[Trump considers executive order to ‘save TikTok’ from ban or sale under U.S. law]

If America is on the precipice of an internet ban, it’s new territory for this country. And if TikTok flickers off in the United States, we’ll have to figure out together how to deal with it and how we feel about it.

We’ll keep testing and updating this user guide as we learn more about the status of a possible TikTok ban - and what, if anything, you can do to keep using TikTok if it’s banned.

If you have treasured TikTok videos, you might want to download your TikTok data right now. Instructions are below.

Here’s what to know.

What might happen to the TikTok mobile app?

A lawyer representing TikTok told the Supreme Court on Friday that he believed TikTok would “go dark” in the United States if a ban goes into effect.

The law says that companies providing technical services that keep TikTok running in the United States would have to stop.

Technology news site the Information also reported that if a ban goes into effect, TikTok has plans to shut off the app for people in the United States, and that people who try to open the app will see a pop-up message directing them to read information about the ban online.

TikTok has not responded to a list of questions.

The law also says that companies running U.S. app stores - Apple and Google, essentially - would have to stop making the TikTok app available to download. If you’ve already got the app, it’s unlikely it would just disappear from your phone. Apple and Google have not commented on the issue.

Could I access TikTok through the web?

It’s not clear.

The law that might force a TikTok ban requires back-end computer providers to stop supporting TikTok in the United States. Even if TikTok’s website, TikTok.com, is available for Americans if a ban goes into effect, it may not have the content you’re used to seeing on TikTok.

How could I keep using TikTok? Would a VPN help?

One probable option to keep using TikTok, if it’s banned, is through a virtual private network, or VPN. This software can make it appear as though you’re using TikTok from another country where it isn’t banned.

VPNs tend to be commonly used in countries in which the government blocks access to some apps, like YouTube and Instagram in Iran, and (briefly) X in Brazil, which last year temporarily suspended Elon Musk’s app in the country.

If you do wind up using a VPN, be wary of downloading the first ones you find in a search of mobile app stores or the web. Some VPNs can be sketchy, data-hogging monsters.

We have previously singled out IVPN, Mullvad and Mozilla VPN as trustworthy. Each has a relatively small subscription fee. Proton VPN has a free option and was recommended by a digital security expert we consulted.

Would I get in trouble if I try to still use TikTok?

No.

The law doesn’t order Americans to stop using TikTok if it’s banned or to delete the app from our phones. Only companies, including app store owners Apple and Google, could face mammoth fines for breaking the law.

What are my alternatives?

Replacing the unique combination of creators and conversation that make TikTok popular won’t be easy. But some people may turn to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts or Chinese apps Lemon8 and RedNote.

If you want to follow your favorite TikTok creators on other services, some include links to their other accounts in their TikTok bio. Many use the same username, too.

There are apps that promise to help you find friends across social media apps (often by syncing contacts), but beware how much personal information you’re giving them.

How do I save old videos - mine or other people’s?

First, download all of your data from TikTok. Open the app and go to Profile > Settings and privacy > Account > Download your data. Do this immediately. It’s unclear if it will still be available if a TikTok ban goes into effect.

The download won’t include video files, but will have useful information like a list of accounts you follow or that follow you. It will include links to videos you’ve posted without a watermark (so you can upload them to another platform) as well as what videos you’ve favorited or bookmarked.

To save actual videos, you have a few options. You can download the most important ones individually by pasting the link for each video into a browser and saving it to your computer from there.

For large numbers of videos - your own or others you want to keep - there are a number of unofficial third-party tools that claim to be able to download them for you.

For example, Chrome extension myfaveTT will download all video files to a folder on your computer. Sorting through them isn’t easy, but it makes a simple webpage on your computer that you can use to sort and find what you need.

Remember that using any extensions could put your data at risk.

Would Donald Trump undo a TikTok ban, if it goes into effect?

It’s not clear. (Are you sick of that answer?!)

Trump’s legal team has said he wants to negotiate a resolution to keep TikTok going in the United States. Some Republicans have suggested Trump should help broker TikTok’s sale to an American company. ByteDance, the Chinese internet company that owns TikTok, has so far not been open to selling.

If a ban goes through this weekend, once Trump takes office he could say the ban wouldn’t be enforced. Lawyers have said that it’s not clear if companies legally obligated to carry out the ban, including Apple and Google, would take that as the final word.

Companies could face fines potentially in the many billions of dollars if they enable Americans to keep using a banned TikTok.