People Are Selling Old Phones With TikTok Installed for Thousands of Dollars — Here's Why There are listings on resale sites for iPhones and Androids with TikTok downloaded for up to $10,000.
By Erin Davis
TikTok only went dark for half a day before returning for U.S. users after President Trump called for a 75-day suspension of the ban.
But while the company and its suitors (from Kevin O'Leary to Elon Musk to an AI company) try to work something out, in following the law, the short video social media platform is not yet back in app stores.
This means TikTokers, who either deleted the app beforehand or bought a new phone since then, are going cold turkey (or using the desktop version). And several forward-thinking entrepreneurs thought maybe they could make a buck.
The New York Times found some "unlocked with TikTok" listings for thousands—even tens of thousands on resale sites including Poshmark and eBay.
One eBay listing says "iPhone 14 Pro UNLOCKED! W/ TikTok" and is priced at $3,000. (Unlocked iPhone 14s are currently at Walmart and Best Buy for around $300 to $500.)
Poshmark, meanwhile, has an iPhone 13 Pro Max "with TikTok and Capcut" for $3,500.
Some listings are most likely a joke like this "cracked" iPhone on Facebook Marketplace with "TikTok never deleted" for $10,000 (down from its original $30,000).
Still, if anyone is buying the phones at these prices, they're not admitting it—yet. If you've purchased one, please reach out. In the meantime, a new iPhone 16 (without TikTok) starts at $799.
Related: Is TikTok Considering Selling Its U.S. Business to Elon Musk? Here's What TikTok Says.
