TikTok is developing a brand new version of its app for US users amid a looming ban of the hugely popular video sharing platform, according to reports.
The Chinese-owned app risks being banned in the US in September if its parent company ByteDance does not sell it to an American owner.
A sale agreement is in place, The Information reported on Sunday, which would see a new, separate version of the app launched in the US.
This comes as US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will start talking to China on Monday or Tuesday about a possible TikTok deal.
Mr Trump said the United States "pretty much" has a deal on the sale of the TikTok short-video app.
TikTok has developed a plan to launch the new app to US app stores on 5 September, the report said.
Last month, Trump extended to 17 September a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok.
The report added that TikTok users will eventually have to download the new app to be able to continue using the service, although the existing app will work until March of next year, though the timeline could change.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A deal had been in the works earlier this year to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm, majority-owned and operated by US investors.
That was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods.
Trump said the United States will probably have to get a deal approved by China.
The controversy surrounding TikTok in its existing format centres around national security concerns, with the FBI claiming that ByteDance could allow the app to “manipulate content” in order to spread propaganda.
There are also fears that data from the 170 million TikTok users in the US could be used in a harmful way.
Additional reporting from agencies.
