Trump considers 90-day TikTok extension as app announces temporary US shutdown

President-elect Donald Trump said he "most likely" will give TikTok 90 more days to work out a deal that would allow the wildly popular app to avoid a ban in the U.S. 

In an interview with NBC News Saturday, Trump said he had not decided what to do but was considering helping TikTok get a reprieve after he is sworn into office on Monday.

The social media app on Saturday told users that its services will be "temporarily unavailable" on January 19. However, it remains unclear what that will mean for users. 

"We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable," the app said in a statement on its various platforms. "We’re working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned."

Hours before midnight, several users posted on social media that they were unable to post on TikTok. 

Trump’s TikTok comments

FILE - The TikTok logo is displayed in view of a video feed of U.S. President Donald Trump in London, U.K., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. (Photographer: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

What they're saying:

"I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at," Trump told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker in a phone interview. "The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate … We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation."

RELATED: Here’s how to download your TikTok videos and data ahead of the ban

Why you should care:

On Friday evening, TikTok announced it will be "forced to go dark" on Sunday, Jan. 19, unless the Biden administration provides a definitive statement assuring that the app’s tech partners won’t face penalties under a law requiring its China-based parent, ByteDance, to divest its stake. 

RELATED: Duolingo reportedly sees spike in Americans learning Chinese as TikTok users move to RedNote

Will the TikTok ban take effect? 

The backstory:

Under the law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year, TikTok’s China-based parent company had nine months to sell the platform’s U.S. operation to an approved buyer. ByteDance refused and took the appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled against TikTok Friday, which means starting Sunday, mobile app stores and internet hosting services will be prohibited from distributing TikTok to U.S. users.

RELATED: Biden won’t enforce TikTok ban, leaving fate of app up to Trump

What's next:

The law allows the sitting president to grant an extension if a sale is in progress. AP sources say Biden does not plan to immediately enforce the ban. Trump, meanwhile, said he could make a decision on TikTok as early as Monday after he takes the oath of office.

The Source: This report includes information from the Associated Press and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting. 

TikTokPoliticsDonald J. Trump