Chinese-made social media apps Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 have risen to the top two spots on Apple’s iPhone download charts in the US, as users look for alternatives to TikTok ahead of an impending ban in the US.
This week, Xiaohongshu (also known as Red Note) became the most downloaded free app on iOS and rose to the top 10 on the Google Play Store. Many new users described themselves as “TikTok refugees” when they joined. Xiaohongshu was founded in 2013.
Lemon8 was launched as a competitor to Xiaohongshu and is owned by ByteDance, which also owns TikTok. Bloomberg reported that Lemon8 downloads across iOS and Android tripled last week, and it was briefly the most downloaded free app on iPhone on Monday, before landing in the second-highest position.
TikTok has until January 19 to find a US buyer to continue operating in the country, as directed by an upcoming Supreme Court ruling.
Unless President-elect Donald Trump reverses the policy, TikTok will be in violation of the law within a week.
Government authorities in the United States and other countries have expressed concern that the Chinese government could use TikTok to access user data, including browsing history and location. There are also concerns that China is able to use the popular video and social media platform to spread false information among TikTok’s 170 million US users.
Xiaohongshu is a Chinese social media platform similar to Instagram, where users can post photos, videos, captions, and life updates. There are also new features that enable live streaming and e-commerce opportunities. The platform is widely used by Chinese-speaking communities abroad.
An influx of new users posting English-language content appeared on Xiaohongshu this week, with the hashtag #tiktokrefugee garnering more than 25 million views.
