"I feel disconnected. I feel cut off from the world and my community," one influencer remarked when the app was down.

"TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. apps are no longer available in the United States, and visitors to the United States might have limited access to features," Apple said.

Some users are holding out hope that TikTok won’t be banned forever. Others are saving their videos and saying goodbye in the app’s final hours.

Even if temporary, the unprecedented shutdown of TikTok is set to have a wide-ranging impact on U.S.-China relations, U.S. politics, the social media marketplace and millions of Americans.