TikTok Preps New “M2” App for US Launch Amid Divestment Deadline & Oracle Deal

With the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” officially taking effect in January of this year—and following multiple extensions by President Trump regarding the deadline for the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations—the platform may soon encounter a turning point in its American trajectory. According to a report by The Information, TikTok is preparing a new version of its app, internally codenamed “M2”, which is expected to launch as early as September 5. This version aims to gradually replace the current app, thereby aligning with U.S. regulatory requirements.

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is reportedly nearing an agreement with a consortium of non-Chinese investors led by Oracle. ByteDance is expected to retain a minority stake, thereby complying with U.S. legal standards while transferring operational control to American interests. However, the deal still requires approval from the Chinese government, and with trade and tariff negotiations between the two nations still unresolved, uncertainties remain.

Simultaneously, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Oracle recently signed a new agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to provide cloud infrastructure services across federal agencies—complete with a 75% discount on software licenses—highlighting its close cooperation with the U.S. government and lending political momentum to the TikTok deal.

Meanwhile, President Trump has disclosed that formal negotiations on the TikTok deal are imminent and may involve Chinese President Xi Jinping or his delegates. He emphasized that the agreement would be mutually beneficial and signaled that a resolution could soon be finalized.

The new version of the app, internally dubbed “M2”, is slated for an early September release. At that time, the current TikTok app will be removed from the App Store, Google Play Store, and other platforms, with full deprecation expected by March 2026. It is understood that “M2” will operate as an entirely separate application. Should the deal fall through, it could serve as TikTok’s “fresh start” in the U.S. market.

However, President Trump has now extended the TikTok ban deadline for a third time, pushing it to mid-September. The legal basis for the extension remains contentious, indicating the U.S. administration’s ongoing hardline stance.

Strategically, TikTok appears to be pursuing operational independence in the U.S. through a combination of technological decoupling and corporate restructuring. Over the past year, the company has also engaged in talks with Google and Apple to ensure its app remains accessible and operational in the American market. With “M2” on the horizon, TikTok is likely to not only comply with legal mandates but also recalibrate its data handling, user permissions, and monetization strategies—potentially ushering in a “second life” for the platform.

Nevertheless, until the deal is finalized, ByteDance must still contend with critical challenges—whether the Trump administration will impose new conditions, or whether the Chinese government will approve the transfer of technological rights. For now, the future of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain.

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