Phones With TikTok Installed Are Selling For Big Bucks – Here’s Why

Did you delete the TikTok app when it went dark a week ago and now you can't get it back on your phone? There's a solution...well, kind of!

Many who deleted the app in frustration when it went down on January 19 have been trying to get it back on their phones but to no avail. And while there's no word on if and when that option will once again become available, many have resorted to trying another option, but this one will cost you big bucks.

Not knowing the fate of TikTok when it went down on the night of January 19, many users decided to just delete the app to soften the blow a bit. But when the app magically reappeared for users in the United States just 14 hours later, the ones who deleted the app instantly regretted it. They could just go into the app store and redownload it, right? Wrong!

What many quickly found out was that TikTok was not available for download in U.S. app stores. So now what? How do TikTok lovers get the app back on their phone? That's a question on the minds of many, and while there isn't an easy answer at this time, some are resorting to something a bit more extreme...and costly.

For TikTokers who deleted the app off their phone in anger, sadness, or frustration and now can't get it back because it's not available in the app store, there is one solution, but it's going to set you back quite a bit of money.

Over on eBay, some people have listed their cell phones with TikTok installed on it for some crazy prices.

Currently, a search for "phones with TikTok" brings more than 76,000 results. One listing, a Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, is going for $3,000 with 70 people watching it. Another listing, a Samsung Galaxy Note9, has an asking price of $50,000 and currently has 94 watchers.

The lowest starts the bidding at $38.13 and the highest, at $4,920,000 (yes, you read that correctly...that's nearly FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.) And if you think there's only one priced so ridiculously high, you'd be wrong. There's one for $4,444,444.44, another for $2 million, and a few going for a mere $1 million.

Do you have a phone with TikTok installed on it and maybe you're not attached to the app? GameStop is looking for you!

A few days ago, GameStop took to Instagram to share that they are buying phones with TikTok. They captioned the post, "The rumors are true. GameStop will buy your phone with TikTok." They also added the information about checking the trade in value of your phone by visiting the link in their bio.

Many took to the comments to joke about the store buying phones, but one person shared, "Spoiler alert: it links to their typical phone trade in tool. Smart way to get ppl there but they’re not offering values specifically for phones with TikTok installed on it."

Another person added, "Just some info that wasn’t included in this post, this does NOT increase the value of your phone."

The question on many people's minds is when we can expect TikTok to show up in U.S. app stores once again. And sadly, there's really no definitive answer to that question just yet.

Shortly after the app went dark in the states, President Trump signed an executive order that delays the enforcement of the law for 75 days. This is to grant the owner of TikTok, ByteDance, more time to sell a stake in the platform to prevent another, more permanent, shutdown of the app for U.S. users.

And while the app came back to life 14 hours after it went dark, anyone who didn't have the app already on their phones were basically left out in the cold. U.S. app stores are blocking TikTok, which doesn't only include downloading the app but also any updates that become available, until this whole ordeal is sorted out permanently.

The app store doesn't want to face the fines that were implemented as part of the ban, which is $5,000 for each user who is granted access to the app. It currently remains unclear when the app will return to app stores, and this uncertainly can go on for a while.

Many TikTokers claim that the app isn't the same after the short ban. Some have said they've had videos taken down for violating community guidelines that they feel they didn't violate, and others have noticed their algorithm is different. Some claim they are not noticing the same types of videos that they were before in their FYP, also noting they used to see videos on the mysterious drones and other controversial topics and now they aren't.

"Our policies and algorithms did not change over the weekend," TikTok said in a statement to Reuters. "We are working hard to restore our U.S. operations back to normal and expect some temporary instability as we restore our services, which could impact TikTok features or users' access to the app."

Have you noticed a difference in your algorithm since returning to TikTok?