TikTok has nearly regained its original traffic levels after a significant drop earlier this month, when the app briefly went offline in the U.S. due to legal challenges.
According to Cloudflare Radar, TikTok’s DNS traffic is now just 10% lower than before the shutdown.
TikTok’s Brief Shutdown and Recovery
The temporary shutdown followed a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either divest its U.S. ownership or face a potential ban.
After the app was removed from Apple and Google stores, it returned online following a decision from President Donald Trump to extend the law’s enforcement deadline.
Despite the brief 14-hour outage and removal from app stores, TikTok has managed to retain much of its user base in the U.S.
Alternatives and Creator Responses
In response to the uncertainty, creators have increasingly turned to alternative platforms. RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, saw a traffic spike during the shutdown, though TikTok’s return caused a rapid decline in traffic to these platforms.
Many creators are also diversifying their presence on other social media platforms. Dylan Lemay, a popular TikTok creator, has expanded his following on YouTube, where he now earns more consistently.
However, some creators like Noah Glenn Carter have struggled to replicate their TikTok success on platforms like Instagram and YouTube Shorts.
Despite fears, some creators remain optimistic about TikTok’s future, with Michael DiCostanzo asserting that TikTok’s unique sense of community is irreplaceable.
