Sara Fischer: TikTok quietly disappears from smart TVs

February 8, 2025

Source: Axios

Streaming TV companies including Samsung, LG, Vizio, Amazon, Google and Apple have removed TikTok from their smart TV systems and app stores, complying with the ban law that went into effect Jan. 19, an Axios investigation found.

Why it matters: While the public’s focus has mostly been on mobile companies, the removal of the app across the streaming TV ecosystem shows that corporate America is mostly determined to follow the law, despite President Trump’s executive order promising the ban won’t be enforced for 75 days.

State of play: Three of the country’s most popular smart TV manufacturers — LG, Vizio, and Samsung — have deleted the TikTok app after the ban went into effect, Axios confirmed.

LG Smart TV users were notified that the TikTok app wouldn’t be available on LG’s content store beginning Jan. 19.
Amazon removed the app from its Fire TV operating system, which uses Amazon’s app store for downloads. “You are not eligible to purchase this app due to geographical restrictions,” TikTok TV’s page reads on Amazon’s web page for its app store.
Google has removed the app from its Google Play Store, which provides the app store experience across its Google TV and Android TV operating systems. Those operating systems are used by several smart TV manufacturers like Sony and Sharp.
Apple has also removed the app from its TV operating system, which uses Apple’s app store for downloads.
Google and TikTok declined to comment. Amazon, Apple, LG, Vizio and Samsung did not reply to requests for comment.

Catch up quick: TikTok debuted its TikTok TV app in the U.S. in 2021 with Amazon Fire TV as its first partner.

It later expanded its agreements with smart TV companies to make the app available on other smart TVs and operating systems.

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