After Trump’s recent 75-day extension to the TikTok ban, the video-based social media app has once again become the focus of wild speculation and discussion. In spite of that, Apple analyst Mark Gurman says the company has no intention of purchasing or even investing in TikTok. Potential suitors include names like Oracle, AppLovin, and even YouTube personality Mr. Beast. The idea that Apple might get involved was tossed around in the early days of the TikTok, but it was all based in rumor.
“There is no obvious scenario in which Apple gets involved in TikTok, whether that’s an investment, full-blown acquisition or something else,” Gurman writes in his Power On! newsletter. “Apple would rather not attach its brand to a contentious social media entity.” Apple has already been the subject of media focus over the possibility of massive price hikes due to the recent tariffs, and the phone giant seems eager to avoid any further unwanted attention from the press.
The subject of TikTok has become largely a political one, but Gurman says that isn’t even enough to prompt Apple’s involvement. “Of course, striking a Trump-friendly deal might help build a stronger relationship with the current administration, and owning TikTok would certainly get more teens on the Apple platform. But — no — this will not happen, so check it off your wish list, if it’s even on there to begin with. The closest Apple will get to TikTok is letting it run on its App Store.”
While TikTok is arguably one of the most social media apps on the web, other platforms have begun to prepare for the possibility of its departure. Substack recently added a scrollable, TikTok-style video feed, and alternatives like RedNote are still available, though they have fallen in popularity since TikTok returned to domestic app stores.