Apple Removes CapCut and Lemon8 from App Store: ByteDance Apps Blocked

In a recent report by Wired, it was revealed that Apple is now preventing users in the United States from installing or updating several apps owned by ByteDance, even if they have a valid Chinese App Store account.

While ByteDance is most commonly associated with the controversial TikTok app, the Chinese developer also offers other apps on the App Store such as Hypic, Lark, Capcut, and Lemon8. Up until now, iPhone users in the US could freely download and update these apps like any other. However, Apple has started blocking the installation and updates of any ByteDance-owned apps, even for users with a Chinese App Store account.

According to Wired, users attempting to download a ByteDance app now receive a message stating, “This app is unavailable in the country or region you’re in.”

The timing of this blockage may be related to the recent transfer of TikTok’s US operations to the TikTok USDS Joint Venture, a new company established to transfer control of the social media platform in the US from ByteDance to a primarily US-based owner. While ByteDance still holds a 19.9 percent stake, the majority ownership now lies with US investors.

When contacted by Wired, Apple, ByteDance, and TikTok USDS Joint Venture all declined to comment on the situation.

The Journey from PAFACA to Pam Bondi

In 2024, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), also known as the “TikTok ban” law, which mandated the divestiture of TikTok into non-adversarial ownership by January 19, 2025, or face potential shutdown.

A complete TikTok ban briefly took effect on January 18, 2025, during which all US servers were offline for approximately 18 hours. Apple published a now-deleted support document listing 11 ByteDance-owned apps, including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, Hypic, and others, that would no longer be accessible in the US.

President-elect Donald Trump intervened, promising to sign an executive order to reinstate TikTok the following day. However, Apple and Google refrained from reinstating the apps due to legal uncertainties. They only returned in mid-February after Attorney General Pam Bondi provided assurance that the companies wouldn’t face legal consequences.

Although attention was primarily on TikTok, PAFACA actually prohibited companies like Apple and Google from distributing any ByteDance apps within US borders. The January 2025 support document clarified that while existing installations would remain, new downloads, updates, and in-app purchases for these apps were disabled.

US users were warned of potential functionality loss, security issues, and lack of compatibility with future iOS versions. ByteDance apps would remain accessible in other regions but not in the US.