Washington DC - President Donald Trump said Monday that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok as the app's future in the US continues to face uncertainty.

"I would say yes," Trump responded when asked aboard Air Force One whether the tech giant was looking into buying the platform.

"There's a lot of interest in TikTok, there's great interest in TikTok," he added.

He noted that a "bidding war" would also be a good development.

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A law banning TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner ByteDance sells up took effect January 19. But Trump has suspended its implementation for two and a half months, seeking a solution with Beijing.

Microsoft is among likely buyers who would have a reason to invest in TikTok, said Angelo Zino at CFRA Research.

He believes Microsoft "has had a desire to get more entrenched into the digital ad space."

TikTok temporarily shut down in the US as the deadline for the law approached, but quickly restored service, crediting Trump for making the reversal possible – though the outgoing Biden administration had earlier said that it would not enforce any ban.

ByteDance, the platform's owner, has so far categorically refused to sell its prized asset.