TikTok iPhones Resell for Thousands After Proposed Ban

We all love our phones, and we all love our apps. For many of us, they’re the first thing we see in the morning and the last connection to the world before we sleep. And if you’re a Zoomer, TikTok probably holds an important place in your heart.

Regulators recently took steps to completely block TikTok in the US, citing security concerns. The move terrified teenagers of all ages, and it didn’t take long for a new market to emerge for phones with TikTok already installed after it was pulled from app stores.

With patience running short and desperation running high, the monster sales rolled in for something that 99/100 people carried in their pockets every day. Even Gamestop began buying iPhones with TikTok installed in stores.

Let’s start with a bit of lore. January 18th was a dark day for many Americans. Influencers of all creeds prepared for the worst as one of their biggest revenue streams was about to shut down. TikTok had shut down service to US users the night of January 18th expecting a ban on the platform to take effect on January 19th. The US government cited concerns of it being a China based company and a national security risk due to the information collected regularly from users.

It was during these hours that the opportunity arose. Many users had taken the liberty to preemptively delete TikTok from their phones. Maybe they were looking for some sort of closure, or maybe they needed the storage space, but they’d start kicking themselves when they saw the eBay prices for these phones.

Fortunately for some, after 12 hours of absolute suffering and darkness, President Trump swooped in promising an executive order to allow TikTok to continue operations for another 75 days.

He signed this order on his inauguration day, January 20th, but TikTok had restored service on the 19th once the promise was made. During this extension, TikTok is expected to find a US based buyer for its platform.

Happy days are here again, the sun is shining, TikTok is operational, and the crisis has been averted thanks to a heroic signature from The Don himself. This is where the fun begins.

Although the ban was lifted and TikTok restored access to US based users, those that deleted the app from their phones were filled with nothing but regret when they checked their app stores to see a message informing them they were unable to download the app pending new regulations.

As written in this CBS News article, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act would make it illegal for any entities to distribute TikTok, and any other apps owned by the parent company ByteDance, like CapCut. Whether it was a premature overreaction to delete the app, or just an overwhelming need to keep your phone organized, you f***ed up.

The obvious choice? Go to eBay and drop a few racks on a phone with a legacy version of TikTok installed. Patience is a virtue, but impulse buying is a hell of a lot more fun.

We’ll say it again, big chances can mean big opportunities. Now don’t use this as an excuse to scalp something that may be necessary for health and medical reasons, but to make a few bucks on an influencer in need is within our range of ethics.

If you want to sell your device with TikTok installed now, you might be a little late to the party but might still be able to get a few bucks for an old phone. If you want to get ahead of the game, make sure you sign up for our newsletter to catch the next unexpected opportunity.