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3 Things You Should Definitely Do Before TikTok’s Ban on January 19

TikTok is set to be shut down for all users in the United States on Sunday.

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Right now, the only way TikTok can exist is if the Supreme Court overturns the federal legislation that would prohibit the social media network. Someone with vast money and domiciled in the United States might also simply acquire TikTok from China-based ByteDance, which presently controls the firm, although this scenario appears improbable right now.

Check out why TikTok users are downloading RedNote and Lemon8.

If you’re one of the more than 170 million TikTok users in the United States, be prepared for the app to go down on Sunday, January 19.

But what precisely does this mean?

The legislation requires Apple and Google to delete TikTok.

From their respective app shops. Furthermore, Reuters stated that on January 19, individuals who already have TikTok on their phones and want to launch the app would receive a pop-up message sending them to a webpage with additional information about the ban. That means you won’t be able to use the app as intended, including watching movies, posting material, or doing anything else.

As a result, there are a few steps you need do before the ban takes effect. Here are three steps you should take before TikTok gets outlawed.

1. Download TikTok videos to keep them trending now.

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There are only 4 days left to download TikTok videos before the ban on January 19, 2025.
If TikTok is prohibited, you will be unable to watch or share videos on the platform. Fortunately, many content providers share their films across numerous social media platforms, like as Instagram and X (previously Twitter), but this is not always the case. So, if you have any favorite videos that you want to revisit without using TikTok, you should download them if they are available.

Read more: PSA: Download all your TikTok videos before the Jan. 19 ban.

On TikTok, choose the video you want to download, touch the share icon in the lower left corner, and then select Save video. If you don’t see the Save video option, then the developer has

You will be unable to download it since downloads have been disabled; however, there are workarounds.

Download video from TikTok.
If you are unable to save a video, you can use your smartphone to screen record it as a final resort.
Nelson Aguilar / CNET
At the same time, you should consider downloading your own videos if they are not already saved on your device, such as incomplete drafts. The technique is quite similar to downloading other videos. Find a video you’ve posted, click the three-dot menu, and select Save video. If the video is in your drafts, open it in the editor, choose the arrow to explore additional choices on the right side of the screen, and then touch Save.

Download TikTok videos.
You should certainly download.

Any unposted drafts that you have.

2. Download your TikTok data, including the people you follow, direct messages, and more.

If you want to preserve more than just your movies, you may easily download the following from TikTok:

Your account details and settings
postings on TikTok (or other TikTok applications)
Your activity, including likes, comments, favorites, and watch history
Your direct messages.
In the TikTok app, navigate to your profile, then select the three-dash menu in the top-right corner to access Settings and privacy. Next, navigate to Account > Download your data and select the red Request data icon. By default, all of the data provided above will be downloaded, but you can specify particular data and the file.

format (text or JSON).

Downloading TikTok data
My TikTok data download completed in around 15 minutes.
Nelson Aguilar / CNET
After completing your request, you may anticipate to get the data’s download file within a few days. You will be contacted once it is ready. To download the data, navigate to the Download data tab on the same page that you requested it. The downloaded.zip file includes a TikTok folder containing all of your information, such as individuals you follow, favorite videos, comments, purchases, direct messages, and more.

It’s also worth noting that, while videos are included in your downloads, they are available as links rather than files that may be saved to your device or PC. You will need to toss the links in

Use your web browser to view them.

3. Look for an alternative to TikTok, such as RedNote or Lemon8.

If TikTok disappears forever, where would you go to aimlessly browse through videos? Well, there are other possibilities. Shelby Brown and Jason Chun demonstrate eight similar social media channels to TikTok, including Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Triller.

In recent days, the applications Xiaohongshu/RedNote and Lemon8 have acquired popularity since they are extremely similar to TikTok. Ironically, they are both Chinese-owned, with Lemon8 owned by ByteDance, which also controls TikTok. Depending on what’s going on with TikTok, this might become a headache in and of itself.

RedNote is now at the top of the app store charts.
Getty Image/Zoey Liao/CNET
For more,Check out Downloads, Trump, and VPNs: Everything You Need to Know About the Potential TikTok Ban.

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