What is TikTok’s M2 app? All we know about new version launching by September

Although the law requiring TikTok to sell or shut down has been in place since January, the app has only been unavailable in the US for one day.

Now, The Information says a deal that would meet the law's conditions is nearly done, and it would include a new, separate app version.

But any final agreement would still need China's approval. Officials there are also dealing with ongoing trade issues involving tariffs and the Trump administration, according to the Verge report.

The report adds that Trump officials are near a deal to sell TikTok to investors not linked to China. Oracle is expected to be part of the group, while ByteDance would keep a smaller stake to comply with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.

Earlier today, the Wall Street Journal said the General Services Administration confirmed Oracle has made a new cloud deal with the US government. It's said to be the first agreement of this kind, giving a full government-wide discount—75 percent off Oracle's licensed software.

TikTok's team developing a fresh version of the app

TikTok's team is believed to be developing a fresh version of the app, called M2 internally, to replace the current one. It's expected to be released on app stores by September 5th.

Last month, Trump approved another extension to keep TikTok available, though it raised legal concerns. That extension ends around mid-September. According to a source cited by The Information, under this plan, the original TikTok app would vanish from stores when M2 arrives and stop working fully by March 2026.

This migration of TikTok's 170 million users in the US is happening as the White House is apparently close to reaching a deal to sell the company's American operations, allowing it to continue doing business stateside.

As part of the proposed deal, a group of wealthy investors would buy TikTok's US operations. President Donald Trump recently described them as "very wealthy people." ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, would still hold a smaller share in the US business. However, the plan still needs to get approval from the Chinese government.

Very rare for a popular app to ask users to switch

According to a report from The Information, it's very rare for a popular app to ask users to switch to a completely new version, since doing so could cause many people to stop using it, according to Pymnts report.

Still, one source mentioned that launching a new version of the app might help ease some concerns about data privacy. The report also pointed out that it's unclear whether the idea to create a separate US version of TikTok came from the Trump administration or the investors involved.