TikTok is regaining its footing in the United States after a brief dip in daily active users that followed a major shift in how its U.S. operations are managed. In the days after a group of American investors took control of the app’s U.S. business, TikTok’s daily usage slipped noticeably, sending some creators and viewers to try competing short-form video platforms. But the drop didn’t last long, and fresh estimates suggest many people who stepped away have already returned.
Digital market intelligence estimates show TikTok briefly fell to about 86–88 million daily active users in the U.S., down from its more typical average of around 92 million. Since then, the platform has climbed back above 90 million daily active users, a sign that the initial wave of uncertainty didn’t translate into a lasting exodus.
Even so, the temporary wobble opened a window for smaller rivals. Two alternative video-sharing apps, UpScrolled and Skylight Social, saw sudden spikes as users searched for a TikTok alternative they could rely on during the confusion. UpScrolled climbed to a peak of roughly 138,500 daily active users around January 28 before easing back to about 68,000. Skylight Social rose to roughly 81,200 daily active users and later settled closer to 56,300. While those numbers are tiny compared to TikTok’s scale, the surge shows how fast user behavior can shift when people feel uncertain about a platform they use every day.
So what actually pushed people to test other apps? The ownership transition wasn’t the only factor. A big driver was anxiety about how TikTok might change, especially around privacy and reliability.
One flashpoint was an updated privacy policy that included permission to collect precise GPS location. For many users, that kind of wording raises immediate red flags, particularly when it appears around the same time as major corporate changes. Some interpreted it as a signal that the app would become more invasive, even if the goal could be tied to product experiments such as a potential “Nearby” feed featuring local creators.
Another line in the policy fueled backlash as well: language suggesting TikTok may collect sensitive details such as “immigration status.” That wording alarmed readers, but it appears tied to legal disclosure requirements under California privacy rules. In other words, the policy needs to tell users what categories of data could be involved, including sensitive data that might be voluntarily shared in content posted on the platform, even if most users never provide anything like that directly.
Compounding the worries, TikTok was hit with a multi-day data center outage at an especially bad moment. Users reported disruptions that made the app feel unstable and unpredictable: search not working correctly, likes and comments failing, video glitches, algorithm oddities, and in-app chat issues. As often happens during widespread technical problems, some users assumed the glitches were intentional and began speculating that TikTok was censoring content—prompting even more people to look elsewhere.
TikTok later said the outage had been resolved, attributing the incident to a power outage connected to winter storms. Once the app stabilized and users had time to digest the updated terms, daily usage began moving back toward normal levels.
Still, the episode highlights a broader trend analysts have been watching: TikTok’s U.S. usage has been gradually drifting down from its 2025 highs. Estimates suggest the platform peaked at about 100 million daily active U.S. users from July through October 2025, compared with the 90+ million range seen now. That doesn’t mean TikTok is losing its dominance, but it does suggest the market for short-form video is becoming more competitive—and that smaller apps can gain traction quickly when trust or performance issues hit a major platform.
For users, the message is clear: privacy policy changes and platform reliability matter, and even a short disruption can reshape habits. For competitors like UpScrolled and Skylight Social, the challenge now is turning a momentary spike into lasting loyalty—by proving they can offer a consistent experience even after the TikTok buzz fades.
