What happens if TikTok is banned? Your guide to a possible shut down.

TikTok users, you’re going to be in limbo for now.

TikTok, which is on the precipice of a nationwide ban in the United States as soon as Sunday, could avert a shutdown. It also might not.

We’re waiting for a decision from the Supreme Court, which legal experts expect is likely to allow a ban on TikTok to go into effect. But President-elect Donald Trump is considering issuing an executive order once he’s in office to put a hold on enforcing the law that could ban TikTok, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Maybe a TikTok ban is averted, or it goes through but is brief, or it goes into effect for a longer period of time. We won’t predict the outcome, but we can help you prepare for the unpredictability of whatever happens with TikTok next.

What might happen to the TikTok mobile app?

A lawyer representing TikTok told the Supreme Court on Friday that he believed TikTok would “go dark” in the United States if a ban goes into effect.

The law says that companies providing technical services that keep TikTok running in the United States would have to stop.

Technology news site the Information also reported that if a ban goes into effect, TikTok has plans to shut off the app for people in the United States, and that people who try to open the app will see a pop-up message directing them to read information about the ban online.

The Post reported that executives in TikTok’s U.S. headquarters have shared few firm details with employees about the coming days except that they are “planning for various scenarios.”

TikTok has not responded to a list of questions.

The law also says that companies running U.S. app stores — Apple and Google, essentially — would have to stop making the TikTok app available to download. If you’ve already got the app, it’s unlikely it would just disappear from your phone. Apple and Google have not commented on the issue.

Could I access TikTok through the web?

It’s not clear.

The law that might force a TikTok ban requires back-end computer providers to stop supporting TikTok in the United States. Even if TikTok’s website, tiktok.com, is available for Americans if a ban goes into effect, it may not have the content you’re used to seeing on TikTok.

How could I keep using TikTok? Would a VPN help?

One probable option to keep using TikTok, if it’s banned, is through a virtual private network, or VPN. This software can make it appear as though you’re using TikTok from another country where it isn’t banned.

VPNs tend to be commonly used in countries in which the government blocks access to some apps, like YouTube and Instagram in Iran, and (briefly) X in Brazil, which last year temporarily suspended Elon Musk’s app in the country.

If you do wind up using a VPN, be wary of downloading the first ones you find in a search of mobile app stores or the web. Some VPNs can be sketchy, data-hogging monsters.

We have previously pinpointed IVPN, Mullvad and Mozilla VPN as trustworthy. Each has a relatively small subscription fee. Proton VPN has a free option and was recommended by a digital security expert we consulted.

Would I get in trouble if I try to still use TikTok?

No.

The law doesn’t order Americans to stop using TikTok if it’s banned or to delete the app from our phones. Only companies, including app store owners Apple and Google, could face mammoth fines for breaking the law.

What are my alternatives?

Replacing the unique combination of creators and conversation that makes TikTok popular won’t be easy. But some people may turn to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts or Chinese apps Lemon8 and RedNote.

If you want to follow your favorite TikTok creators on other services, some include links to their other accounts in their TikTok bio. Many use the same username, too.

There are apps that promise to help you find friends across social media apps (often by syncing contacts), but beware how much personal information you’re giving them.

How do I save old videos — mine or other people’s?

Given the uncertainty about TikTok’s immediate future, it might be wise to download all of your data from TikTok. Open the app and go to Profile → Settings and privacy → Account → Download your data. Do this soon. It’s unclear if it will still be available if a TikTok ban goes into effect.

The download won’t include video files but will have useful information like a list of accounts you follow or that follow you. It will include links to videos you’ve posted without a watermark (so you can upload them to another platform) as well as what videos you’ve favorited or bookmarked.

To save actual videos, you have a few options. You can download the most important ones individually by pasting the link for each video into a browser and saving it to your computer from there.

For large numbers of videos — your own or others you want to keep — there are a number of unofficial third-party tools that claim to be able to download them for you.

For example, Chrome extension myfaveTT will download all video files to a folder on your computer. Sorting through them isn’t easy, but it makes a simple webpage on your computer that you can use to sort and find what you need.

Remember that using any extensions could put your data at risk. The maker of myfaveTT says the software does not sell or share people’s personal data and only puts video files onto users’ hard drives.

Would Donald Trump stop a TikTok ban?

It’s not clear. (Are you sick of that answer?!)

Once Trump takes office on Monday — the day after the deadline for a TikTok sale or ban — he could order a delay on enforcement of the law. Lawyers have said that it’s not clear if companies legally obligated to carry out the ban, including Apple and Google, would take that as the final word.

Companies could face fines potentially in the many billions of dollars if they enable Americans to keep using a banned TikTok.

Some Republicans have suggested Trump should help broker TikTok’s sale to an American company. ByteDance, the Chinese internet company that owns TikTok, has so far not been open to selling.