What Is RedNote? The New Digital Playground For America’s 'TikTok Refugees'

Move over, TikTok—there is a new app in town that is turning heads faster than a viral dance challenge. Enter RedNote, the English moniker for the Chinese social media sensation Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book), which has swiftly become the go-to refuge for American users bracing for a possible TikTok blackout.

With TikTok’s US future hanging by a thread—thanks to legislation set to take effect this Sunday—millions of 'TikTok refugees' are not waiting around to see if ByteDance can pull off a last-minute save.

Instead, they are flocking to RedNote, a platform that offers a quirky blend of lifestyle tips, product reviews, and microblogging vibes, all wrapped up in an Instagram-meets-Pinterest aesthetic.

On Jan. 13, RedNote rocketed to the top of the US Apple App Store, racking up over 700,000 downloads in a day. For users seeking a fresh start or just a place to post their carefully choreographed videos, RedNote is emerging as the unexpected star of this social media saga.

Let’s dive into this viral phenomenon taking America by storm.

Owned by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology and founded in 2013, RedNote is a Chinese-language lifestyle and e-commerce platform that’s now becoming a rage among the US’s 'TikTok refugees.' Often called a hybrid of Instagram and Pinterest, RedNote boasts around 300 million monthly active users, mostly in China, where it thrives as a hub for travel tips, fashion hacks, and beauty reviews, according to a CNN report.

The short-form video platform blends entertainment and e-commerce in a way that feels oddly familiar to TikTok users. It lets creators showcase their favourite products, share reviews, and even shop directly within the app, making it a one-stop digital playground.

"Described as China’s answer to Instagram," CNN noted. The app has also gained popularity among Chinese communities in places like Malaysia and Taiwan, proving its appeal extends beyond its home market.

Unlike TikTok, RedNote keeps its user data in China, aligning with strict local data protection laws. But that also means it’s beyond the reach of US regulators, making it a safe haven for users worried about TikTok bans.

The migration of TikTok users to RedNote is already driving ripple effects, including a surge of up to 20% in related stocks, highlighting the geopolitical tech divide shaping the global internet.

If you think Instagram and YouTube are the next options for the TikTok users, then you need to think again. Apart from RedNote, platform users are migrating to Lemon8—also owned by ByteDance.

Lemon8, which bills itself as a 'lifestyle community,' was first launched in Japan in 2020. The app had the second top spot in the Apple App Store—after RedNote—earlier this week. The app allows existing TikTok users to migrate their account handles and data.

Like TikTok, Lemon8 stores data of users outside China, including in the US and Singapore. However, if the US government does ban TikTok, it could easily use the same rationale to ban Lemon8.

Other local US-based alternative platforms, such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, are not seen as ideal options by many users.