As TikTok’s US ban looms, there’s another Chinese social app on the rise: RedNote.
RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu in China, is currently the top free app in the US iOS App Store. It’s also making gains among US Android users, gaining over 200,000 users in the past month—more than half of which have been downloaded in the past few days, according to AppFigures data. Americans do not need a Chinese phone number to use the app, which has commercial features like TikTok.
Xiaohongshu, founded in 2013 as a shopping app and sometimes referred to as “China’s Instagram”, allows users to post photos and videos and can also be viewed on the web without an account like TikTok and its Chinese version, Douyin. A quick spin of RedNote’s web without an account shows mostly photos and videos of Chinese women, with a few English speakers in the mix, as well as numerous fan accounts praising Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealth’s CEO. We also found celebrity fan accounts, cosplay videos, NBA videos, and cat videos, too — much the same type of content you’d find on TikTok.
In recent days, scores of English-speaking users have given RedNote five-star reviews on its Google Play Store page, sharing that they switched to RedNote because TikTok has a pending ban. “When I first downloaded the app, it was all in Chinese and [after] a few hours automatically changed to English. I have high hopes for this app. It is a learning curve though, and requires us to be respectful of the existing Chinese culture and community. I’m having a fun time interacting with the locals and learning Mandarin,” wrote one reviewer.
RedNote rises to the top of free iOS apps. (Credit: Kate Irwin/PCMag via App Store)
Chinese and American users have interacted on the app through translators and other means, with some China-based users welcoming self-described “TikTok refugees” or “TikTok immigrants.” A number of English videos have commenters asking for “moots,” slang for mutual friends or followers, as they join the app.
(Credit: Kate Irwin/PCMag via Xiaohongshu)
Chinese state media and government representatives are receptive to this new influx of English speakers at RedNote. “China has always supported and encouraged the strengthening of cultural exchanges and the promotion of mutual understanding among the peoples of all countries,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press conference.
But some Chinese users warned that the influx of Americans to RedNote could result in Americans taking over the platform and affecting non-American users, Reuters reported.
The sudden influx of English speakers to RedNote is a bit ironic, however, given that TikTok’s ban in the US was enacted over concerns about its Chinese owner, ByteDance, and ties to the Chinese government. RedNote is also a Chinese company, but not owned by ByteDance.
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As TikTok prepares to pull out of the US on Sunday, it’s possible President-elect Donald Trump could try to bring it back or reverse the ban once he takes office. TikTok CEO Shou Chew may not be giving up just yet. Chew reportedly met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and is planning to attend Trump’s inauguration. Trump, who has previously advocated for a ban on TikTok, has recently praised the app and is now considering an executive order that could reverse or halt the ban.
In 2021, the RedNote was still only available in China. The app wanted to expand internationally at the time, but had to contend with Chinese government requirements for cybersecurity reviews for any company with over a million users that wanted to expand abroad. Business Insider reported in 2022.
Despite this, it launched an English version of its site in 2021, and it is now available in US app stores. ByteDance-owned Lemon8, another social app, is also gaining, ranking second behind RedNote in the US iOS App Store.
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About Kate Irwin
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