The clock is ticking for TikTok, and its millions of creators are bracing for impact. As the US government inches closer to banning the popular video-sharing app, content creators are scrambling to find new platforms to call home. With just days to go before a potential ban, the atmosphere on TikTok has shifted from nonchalant to nervous, with many creators posting links to their other social media accounts, making highlight reels of their most viral moments, and saying goodbye to their "Chinese spy" app.

The uncertainty surrounding TikTok's future in the US has been building for years, ever since former President Donald Trump first moved to expel the app from the country. Now, with President Joe Biden having signed legislation last April that began the countdown to force TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest from its US business, the clock is ticking. While the vibe on TikTok was initially nonchalant, the mood has shifted in the last week, with creators and users alike preparing for the worst.

For many creatives online, this wouldn't be the first time they've had to migrate to new spaces. Reach, engagement, and visibility are constantly shifting even on the largest and most stable platforms. However, the possibility that a social media site of this size would disappear – or slowly break down until it's nonfunctional – is a new threat. For small creators especially, TikTok is like playing the lottery: you don't need thousands of followers for your video to get big, and this unpredictability incentivized the average person to upload content.

So, where will TikTok creators go if the app is banned? We asked several content creators what their game plan is. Noelle Johansen, who sells slogan sweatshirts, accessories, stickers, and other products, plans to focus on X and Instagram for sales while working to grow an audience on Bluesky and Threads. Kay Poyer, a popular creator making humor and commentary content, says she'll stay where the engagement is, possibly migrating to smaller platforms like Bluesky or Neptune. Bethany Brookshire, a science journalist and author, has been sharing videos about human anatomy on TikTok, Bluesky, Instagram, and YouTube, and says she'll continue to produce content wherever her audience is.

Other creators, like Anna Rangos, who works in social media and makes tech and cultural commentary videos, are no strangers to having to pick up and leave a social media platform for somewhere else. Rangos says she's working to stake out her own space through a website and a newsletter, and plans to stay active on YouTube, Pinterest, and Bluesky. Amanda Chavira, an Indigenous beader who built an audience through tutorials and cultural content, says she'll reupload some of her content to YouTube Shorts to see how her videos perform there, but otherwise will be waiting to see if another viable video platform comes along.

The Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York uses TikTok to share information with new audiences, and says it will meet audiences wherever they migrate in the case that TikTok becomes inaccessible. The sanctuary's social media coordinator, Riki Higgins, notes that TikTok users really don't like Instagram Reels, viewing it as the platform where jokes, trends, etc., go to die, where outdated content gets recycled, and especially younger users see it as an app only older audiences use.

As the fate of TikTok hangs in the balance, one thing is clear: the app's millions of creators are not going down without a fight. Whether they migrate to alternative platforms, build their own websites, or find new ways to connect with their audiences, the creativity and resilience of TikTok's community will undoubtedly endure, even in the face of uncertainty.