As the clock ticks down to a potential TikTok ban in the US (pun intended), users are scrambling for a new digital home. Of course, because the internet is incredibly unserious, users are pulling an uno-reverse on the government and moving to Chinese-owned app RedNote.
So to keep you in the loop, here’s everything you need to know about RedNote, the app that in the spotlight.
What is RedNote?
If you’ve never heard of RedNote before, imagine TikTok and Instagram had a baby, but make it more elevated. Known as Xiaohongshu (which literally means ‘little red book’). RedNote this app has been quietly crushing it in China since 2013. The platform has gathered a whopping 300 million monthly users with 79 per cent of those users being made up of women, per The New York Post.
Unlike traditional social media platforms, RedNote operates on a model where users generate and share “notes” — which are basically a mix of photos, videos, and personal experiences. Want to know the best coffee spot in town? There’s probably a RedNote review for that. Curious about another new skincare product? Someone’s already done a deep dive and shared their honest thoughts.
“We ain’t gong back to Instagram, Facebook; we on that RedNote, baby!” @allieusyaps told his followers on TikTok.
The app’s surge in popularity during the COVID pandemic turned it into a digital hangout where people share everything from travel tips to makeup tutorials. It’s part social media, part shopping guide, and part community forum.
TikTok users are already pumped about the move. “I’ve been on RedNote for maybe 30 minutes and I’ve started learning Mandarin,” Dre on TikTok quipped.
“Anyone else realise that on Xiaohongshu (RedNote), everything that was great about TikTok was actually from China’s FYP and their communities,” said revealed another excited user.
What’s happening with TikTok in the US?
This whole exodus to RedNote is thanks to the impending TikTok ban happening in the US. On Friday, January 10, the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether to pause a law that could effectively ban TikTok in the United States. This law, signed by President Biden back in April 2024, gives ByteDance (TikTok’s Chinese parent company) an ultimatum: sell TikTok to a US-approved buyer or face a ban.
The clock is in fact ticking, with the deadline set for January 19, 2025 – that’s this Sunday people. And it’s not looking great for TikTok lovers. Most of the justices seemed to be leaning towards supporting the law, questioning TikTok’s claims that it violates free speech.
The irony is that as TikTok faces the potential ban, users are flocking to RedNote, another Chinese-owned platform — the very reason the US government wants to ban TikTok.
Another layer to this whole situation is that when Donald Trump comes into his presidency on January 20 (a day after the ban is set to start), things might change for TikTok. Despite trying to ban TikTok himself back in 2020, Trump is now asking the Supreme Court to delay its decision. Trump wants time to find a “political solution” once he takes office.
RedNote etiquette you should know
Since this is new territory for most Americans, some RedNote users have taken to TikTok to teach Americans some etiquette for the app. We love the boundary setting divas.
“All TikTok refugees on Rednote, you need to stop posting the same introductions please. Our FYP is destroyed,” one user wrote as people have simply been posting “I’m American ask me anything”.
This TikToker asked people to do more than that. “We are human, same internet users. We attract each other by things we interested in. Just share the same stuff you shared here, build community.”
Americans have actually been quick to apologise for their behaviour with users commenting on the TikTok, “We are guests, we must behave,” and “We are guests in their home, be better”. LMAO, surprised and impressed with the humility, but can;t helop but wonder how long it will last.
Chinese TikTok creator Tiffany Huang has the same questions and is scared about the cancel culture Americans may bring over to RedNote. “There are still things in Chinese culture in the process of being changed.” She explained that things like being thin to be pretty is embedded in Chinese culture. “I don’t want you guys to go and cancel some Chinese person for doing that, because it’s their world and we are entering their home.”
Although, skinny culture can absolutely be harmful, Tiffany is worried that American “negativity” may be counterproductive in facilitating a larger conversation about beauty standards.
Will RedNote actually be the next TikTok?
While it’s undoubtedly popular in China, it’s too soon to tell whether RedNote has the legs and the vibe to generate the same following as TikTok currently has amongst the Western world.
It’s also too soon to know if the TikTok ban will actually eventuate, but let’s be so real — with American politics, who knows what sudden changes may come.
However it seems that users on RedNote are excited for the new community coming their way. The user who made a welcome video for incoming Americans has gone viral. “We mainly use this platform for searching for suggestions, such as for restaurants, for shopping malls, even for makeup tips,” he explains.
Although the app is mostly Chinese speaking, the user wants to encourage people not to be afraid of speaking English on the app.
“I believe there are a lot more English-speaking people on this platform nowadays and we need to build this community,” he said.
He ended his message powerfully: “Never stop sharing your voice because a platform such as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube, Xiaohongshu, should never be banned. People sharing their actual voice there about wildfires in LA, about Gaza and a lot of other things — these are real people’s voice[s]. What matters more is that we never stop making content.”
As creators look for other options, at least one TikToker shared that he was ready to embrace a new language: “Look, I might not have a job in the next week, but we about to learn Mandarin baby!”
What are some TikTok alternatives?
If RedNote isn’t your jam, don’t worry. There are plenty of other options being thrown around as the next big app.
OIbviously, you’ve got Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts already set to go, but there is no denying that the vibe of these feeds, compared to the chaos of TikTok is just not the same. Like I don’t think I could post me crying about eating cheese and shitting my pants in public on Reels ya know (this is unfortunately a real video). I mean my childhood bestfriend’s mum follows me on there and she does not need to see that!
Lemon8 is another ByteDance product that’s gaining traction as the next bug thing. It’s like a mix of TikTok and Instagram, focusing on lifestyle content and aesthetic visuals. However, it runs into the same problem of it’s mother company being public enemy number one of the US.
Snapchat Spotlight might work for those who want lighter, more entertaining content. However, it tends to avoid political and news videos as well as analysis content. For someone who appreciate a good over-intellectualisation yap, it may be a hard one to get on board with.
The Neptune app has also been thrown around as a top contender to be TikTok’s replacement. Travel TikToker Nicole plans to make the move to Neptune and describes the app as “a mix of TikTok, Youtube and little sprinkling of MySpace in there”. However, the app is still in its development stages and has announced that their beta test will be coming out between January and February. Some eager fans have already reserved their usernames on the app.
For Australian creators, this is a massive moment of uncertainty. Will we be forced to move to another platform to join the converstaion or will we be able to lead on our own. Honestly, I think I might cry if I have to download another app.
But, the real question is deeper than platforms. It’s about community, connection, and how we share stories in a digital world. TikTok gave people the ability to share their voices on platforms they wouldn’t normally have been able to build on their own. What will happen now that those platforms may be taken away? What will happen to those communities formed around them?
Whatever happens, stay tuned, because this story is far from over.
Lead image: TikTok
The post With The US TikTok Ban Looming, Users Are Fleeing To New App RedNote — So What Is It? appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
