TikTok ban is US: New Chinese app surges to top of store downloads. Where to download?

TikTok's possible pain in the US has literally translated into another Chinese App's big gains. The United States passed a law last year forcing ByteDance to either sell the platform or shut it down by January 19. TikTok has become another battleground showcasing China-US tensions, with President Joe Biden's administration accusing the app of allowing Beijing to collect data and spy on users -- claims denied by China and TikTok's owner ByteDance, as per a report.

Furious at the prospect of a US government ban on social media platform TikTok, American users have flocked to another Chinese-owned app in droves, many with a defiant message: "Take my data!" With that deadline looming, Xiaohongshu -- a lifestyle-focussed Instagram-meets-Pinterest alternative -- surged to the top of the Apple App Store downloads on Monday. The hashtag "tiktokrefugee" had more than 100 million views by Tuesday evening, AFP reported.

Until Monday, Xiaohongshu -- or RedNote in English -- was popular primarily among Chinese-speaking users. It boasted 300 million monthly active users at the end of 2023. Unlike TikTok's sister app Douyin or the micro-blogging site Weibo, Xiaohongshu skews heavily towards lifestyle content.


It is seen as facing relatively less censorship than other platforms: users can be found posting LGBTQ content and discussing the merits of women remaining single, topics often considered sensitive in China.

For 'native' Xiaohongshu users on Monday, the influx of Americans was a head-scratcher but also provided an unexpected opportunity for cultural exchange.

Some even asked for help with English homework. In public group chats on the platform, new users asked for translations of slang terms, as well as keywords to search for content they wanted.

FAQs

Q1. What is other option for TikTok in US?
A1. Xiaohongshu or RedNote in English has gained immense popularity.

Q2. What do we know about Xiaohongshu?
A2. Until Monday, Xiaohongshu -- or RedNote in English -- was popular primarily among Chinese-speaking users. It boasted 300 million monthly active users at the end of 2023. Unlike TikTok's sister app Douyin or the micro-blogging site Weibo, Xiaohongshu skews heavily towards lifestyle content.