What is RedNote? Find Out More About the Chinese App 'TikTok Refugees' Are Flocking To!
The ban on TikTok is getting closer.
If you were unaware, a new law was passed that gives TikTok until January 19, 2025 to sell to a non-Chinese company or face a nationwide ban in the United States. As of right now, TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance has not yet sold the app.
As the country waits to see what happens with TikTok, a growing number of American social media users have started moving over to Xiaohongshu, aka RedNote, which is a hugely popular app in China.
Keep reading to find out more…Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu is described as China’s answer to Instagram and has become popular for sharing tips on travel, makeup, and fashion. The app boosts over 300 million users. If you were unaware, TikTok is not available in China.
As of Tuesday (January 14), Xiaohongshu is the No. 1 app in Apple’s U.S. App Store.
After the hashtag “TikTok refugee” went viral on TikTok, many American users have started downloading Xiaohongshu as a sign of defiance against the government’s ban on TikTok.
“Our government is out of their minds if they think we’re going to stand for this TikTok ban,” one user said in a video message on Xiaohongshu, via CNN. “We’re just going to a new Chinese app, and here we are.”
“This is so much better than TikTok,” another self-proclaimed “refugee” shared in a video. “Americans are coming here … so sorry you’ll hate us, but I promise we’ll do our best.”
One of Xiaohongshu‘s key features is its content focuses on user interests rather than the people they follow. Users say that this type of algorithm focuses more on original content and their interests and reduces the dominance of influencers.
Another popular app that many U.S. users are also downloading is Lemon8, which is lifestyle community app also owned by ByteDance same as TikTok. It is currently ranked as the second most downloaded app on Apple’s U.S. store behind Xiaohongshu.
This app, which was launched in the U.S. in 2023, has a similar video sharing function as TikTok and was modeled after Instagram and Pinterest.
Find out why Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to postpone the ban on TikTok.