TikTok, the popular social media app, is still missing from Apple and Google's mobile stores, nearly a week after its removal following the US ban-or-divest law taking effect. Despite the service coming back online shortly after the ban, the app has not returned to either mobile store, leaving users unable to newly install it.

The removal of TikTok from the app stores was a direct result of the US ban, which forced the service to go dark within the United States. However, President Donald Trump's executive order refusing to enforce the ban has created uncertainty, leaving Apple and Google at risk of paying billions in fines if they make TikTok available again. The tech giants have remained tight-lipped about their plans, with Apple and Google failing to respond to multiple requests for comment from The Verge.

TikTok's absence from the app stores has significant implications for users. While those who had the app installed before the ban can continue to use it as normal, new users are unable to download the app without resorting to unconventional means. Some individuals are even attempting to sell used phones with the TikTok app still installed, highlighting the demand for the service. Users can still access TikTok through a browser, including on their mobile devices, but this is not a seamless solution.

The situation raises questions about the role of app stores in regulating access to online services. As the primary way many people obtain software, the absence of TikTok from the app stores effectively blocks new users from accessing the platform. This has significant implications for TikTok's user base and revenue, as well as for the broader tech industry.

The uncertainty surrounding TikTok's return to the app stores is likely to continue until there is clarity on the legal implications of reinstating the service. Until then, users will have to find alternative means of accessing the platform or wait for a resolution to the ongoing saga. As the situation unfolds, it will be important to monitor the responses of Apple, Google, and TikTok, as well as the broader implications for the tech industry and online freedom.

In the meantime, users are left to navigate the complexities of the situation, seeking out workarounds to access the service they have come to rely on. As the days turn into weeks, the absence of TikTok from the app stores serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between technology companies, governments, and users in the digital age.