The buzz around TikTok’s return to India was short-lived. Here’s the truth behind the hype.
TikTok fans in India got a wave of excitement on Friday when reports claimed the popular short-video app was back. For a brief moment, the official TikTok website even became accessible to some users, sparking rumors of an official comeback. But don’t get your hopes up just yet — the company has officially shut down the speculation.
TikTok Still Banned in India
TikTok has confirmed that it remains banned in India, despite all the chatter online. A company spokesperson told TechCrunch:
“We have not restored access to TikTok in India and continue to comply with the Government of India’s directive.”
A senior official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), speaking anonymously, also confirmed that the government has not lifted the ban or taken any steps to unblock the app.
What Sparked the Rumors?
The comeback buzz started when some users noticed that TikTok’s website was suddenly accessible in India. Even Gadgets 360 staff managed to open the login page, create an account, and attempt to log in. But their excitement was short-lived. A message popped up during OTP submission, reading:
“TikTok is banned in India and we are working on it.”
So what really happened? According to the report, this was likely caused by a network-level misconfiguration — not a deliberate unblocking. Similar incidents have happened before. Back in 2022, TikTok was briefly accessible after some internet service providers mistakenly removed restrictions.
Currently, the TikTok website is inaccessible in India again.
Why Was TikTok Banned?
The app was officially banned in June 2020 under Section 69A of the IT Act, which allows the government to block access to online resources for reasons related to national security, sovereignty, and public order.
The ban came during heightened tensions between India and China. Since then, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has been exploring ways to re-enter the Indian market. In 2022, there were reports of a possible partnership with Hiranandani Group, but that never materialized.
If it had, it could have opened the door for other banned Chinese apps — like those from Alibaba and Tencent — to return. But for now, that remains a distant dream.
Bottom line: TikTok is still banned in India. The brief access was just a glitch — not a comeback.
