Running a VPN alone was certainly not enough to circumvent the ban and get back on TikTok. But seemingly using a non-US TikTok account after removing a SIM (or on a device without a US SIM card/US phone number) worked when combined with a VPN. Similarly, using a VPN with a desktop browser or the Tor Browser was enough to get a non-US TikTok account to load in the US early on Sunday morning, though TikTok's desktop version has always been much more limited than its mobile app.