In the run-up to the TikTok ban, it was unclear what the fate of parent company ByteDance’s other apps would be, but now we know: They have also been forgotten in the US. At the same time, TikTok went offline this weekend, as did other apps developed or affiliated with ByteDance, including popular video editing tool CapCut, social media platform Lemon8 and Marvel Snap. All now show messages to US users that their services are unavailable. Chief Development Officer for Marvel Snap Developer Second Dinner wrote in Threads that it was “a surprise” for us to be affected by the ban and that the team is working to get it back online.
Second Dinner repeated this and in his in-app message to users, he adds: “MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere.” While Marvel Snap was created by US-based developer, its publisher Nuverse Games is a subsidiary of ByteDance. Other Nuverse games also appear to be affected.
CapCut and Lemon8 may be less surprising victims since both were developed by ByteDance, but given that the law focuses solely on TikTok as a target, their shutdown will still come as a shock to many users. CapCut is widely used for video editing, especially among social media creators. And many TikTok users looking for an alternative in light of the ban flocked to Lemon8; Just a few days ago that was Lemon8 in the App Store.
On a new support page, listed some of the apps that would be shutting down in the US, and TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8 and Marvel Snap are all there, along with Lark, Hypic – an AI photo editing tool – and Gauth: AI Study Companion. But there are many others not listed that may also be affected.
“Apple is obligated to follow the laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates,” Apple said in a statement on the support site. “Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries – including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8 and others – will no longer be available to download or update on the App Store for users in the United States effective January 19, 2025.”
