iPhones with TikTok installed fetch thousands on eBay after US ban

After a brief ban on TikTok in the US, a curious trend has emerged: iPhones with the popular app still installed are being listed for thousands of dollars on eBay.

As of January 2025, TikTok remains unavailable on both the Apple App Store and Google Play in the US due to a nationwide ban.

While millions of users who had already downloaded the app before the ban can continue using it, anyone who deleted it or hadn’t installed it before the restriction can no longer access it. The ban has left several TikTok enthusiasts desperate to find a way back into the app.

For some, the solution has been to purchase used iPhones that still have TikTok installed. eBay sellers are capitalising on the situation, offering devices with the app pre-installed at sky-high prices.

In one listing, an iPhone 16 Pro Max is offered for $25,000, while others, like an iPhone 15 Pro Max with TikTok, are priced around $10,000. The trend has created a market for these high-priced devices, some reaching even higher figures—one seller in Raleigh, North Carolina, set the price for an iPhone with TikTok installed at an astounding $1 million.

The situation has sparked widespread discussion. Users who had unknowingly deleted TikTok during the ban or who had never downloaded it are now desperately seeking workarounds, many turning to online forums and social media to find help. "I deleted TikTok, and now I can’t get it back!" one user wrote, offering to pay $5,000 for an iPhone with the app still installed.

TikTok’s return to the US app stores remains uncertain. The situation remains in limbo despite former President Trump signing an executive order to delay enforcing the ban and calling for a potential joint venture involving US ownership of the app.

For now, users who still have TikTok on their phones are in the clear, but those who removed the app or never downloaded it face the challenge of waiting for the app to be available again—or paying a premium for a phone that has it.

For some, the price is worth the access. As one buyer on eBay put it, “If TikTok is unbanned, I’ll pay whatever it takes to get back on.” With the app being a vital part of many users’ daily routines and content creation, the demand for phones with TikTok installed shows no signs of slowing down, even at eye-popping prices.