TikTok Outage: 32,000+ Users Report Issues as App Glitches Across U.S.

Thousands of TikTok users across the U.S. experienced a major outage on Thursday afternoon, with over 32,000 reports flooding in at its peak. The outage affected users in major cities including New York, D.C., Houston, and Seattle, with widespread complaints of app crashes and server issues.

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Hashitha

5/15/20252 min read

What Happened?

According to data from Downdetector, reports of TikTok being down started spiking around 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 15. Within 15 minutes, complaints surged to over 32,000.

79% of users said they couldn’t access the app
19% reported server connection issues
Issues were concentrated in major U.S. metro areas

Many users shared that the app would briefly load before crashing again — adding to the frustration.

TikTok Users Vent on X (Formerly Twitter)

With TikTok down, thousands turned to X (formerly Twitter) to check for updates and express their frustrations. Some humorous, others furious — but one thing was clear: users felt left in the dark.

To make matters worse, the official TikTok Support account hasn’t posted an update since July 6, 2021, leaving users without any real-time support or transparency during the outage.

Service Slowly Restoring

As of 8:00 p.m. ET, many users reported the app was functional again, but still suffering from slowdowns, loading issues, and bugs. TikTok has not issued any official statement about the cause of the outage.

Why This Outage Matters: More Than a Glitch?

While app outages happen, this one arrives at a critical time for TikTok. With ongoing U.S. government pressure on ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, some users are asking:

“Is this a technical bug — or something deeper?”

TikTok’s Legal Limbo in the U.S.

TikTok is currently facing a potential ban in the United States unless ByteDance sells its U.S. operations.

Under a bipartisan bill signed by President Biden in 2024, ByteDance must sell the app or face removal from U.S. servers (like the App Store and Google Play).
Former President Donald Trump extended the deadline by 75 days to April 5, 2025, allowing ByteDance time to close a deal.
However, tensions escalated after the administration implemented new tariffs on China, prompting the Chinese government to reportedly halt deal negotiations.

This means the app’s future in the U.S. is still uncertain — and any major outage only fuels user anxiety and speculation.

TikTok’s U.S. Popularity

Despite its challenges, TikTok remains a cultural force in the U.S.:

170+ million Americans use the app as of 2024
1 in 3 American adults say they use TikTok
Up from 21% in 2021, according to Pew Research

Final Thoughts

The TikTok outage was resolved within hours, but it highlights how fragile and politically entangled the app’s U.S. presence has become. With millions relying on TikTok for content, business, and entertainment, any disruption—technical or political—carries major weight.

Stay tuned to NextPickHub.com for updates on TikTok’s legal situation and further tech news.