- TikTok is reportedly developing a new app called 'M2' to replace the original app.
- The company has reportedly found a group of investors, including Oracle, that will take over its operations in the US.
- Once the new app is out, the older app will be taken down, and it will stop working in March 2026.
TikTok is going through turmoil right now, as it looks for a buyer to continue its operations in the US. But before that happens, TikTok is already working to launch a new version of the app called “M2” in September.
According to The Information, the Trump administration is close to finalizing a deal where a group of investors, including cloud technology giant Oracle, would acquire TikTok. ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, would still have some control over the service, but a significantly smaller share.
As a result, TikTok is reportedly building a new version of the app, which is internally dubbed M2. Going by The Information’s sources, the app is scheduled to release on September 5th, weeks before TikTok’s third extension ends. After this, the original app will be taken off app stores and will completely stop working in March 2026.
The question is, why Oracle? As per a report by The Wall Street Journal, Oracle is offering massive discounts on its services to the US government. It is a first-of-its-kind deal, offering a 75% discount on licensed software. This could be the reason why they were picked to be one of the investors to take over TikTok.
So Oracle could be a part of the group of “very wealthy people” to buy TikTok that Trump revealed last week. Of course, nothing is set in stone till the administration gets approval from China, which will have the final say. That said, this deal does meet the criteria of the US law that aims to prevent foreign-controlled apps from operating in the country.
TikTok itself is referred to as ‘M’ internally. So, the M2 codename suggests that it will be the next iteration of the service. The release of a new TikTok successor, controlled by a US entity, might also pave the way for its entry into other regions where TikTok has been banned due to privacy and security concerns, like India.
