In the imminent days, TikTok faces a potential ban in the US due to a bill signed by President Biden, which mandates its parent company, ByteDance, to sell off its stake in the app. As the possibility of a ban looms, users are on the lookout for alternatives—leading another Chinese social network to soar to the top of the US App Store charts.
Chinese app ‘RedNote’ has ascended to the #1 spot in US App Store downloads
Xiaohongshu, or RedNote in English, is a Chinese social networking platform launched in 2013 to rival Pinterest and Instagram. Initially, it focused on enabling users and influencers to share product reviews integrated with e-commerce features. Recently, RedNote has also begun to emphasize short video content similar to TikTok.
According to TechCrunch, RedNote gained immense popularity among younger Chinese audiences during the pandemic, amassing over 300 million monthly active users. However, its success outside of China has been limited until recently.
Now, RedNote has emerged as the most downloaded app in the US App Store, surpassing notable apps like ChatGPT, Threads, Instagram, and TikTok. The surge in downloads is largely fueled by the search for TikTok alternatives, with creators actively promoting the platform to their followers.
There remains a possibility that TikTok will not be banned in the US, as President-elect Trump has signaled his opposition to such a move. However, creators find themselves in uncertainty and are eager to retain their followings.
Interestingly, creators are directing users toward another Chinese app rather than to a domestic platform like Instagram. It’s worth noting that the US Department of Justice has voiced concerns about TikTok’s parent company sharing user data with the Chinese government and allegedly influencing the content presented to American users for political manipulation.
Only the future will reveal if RedNote can replicate TikTok’s phenomenon.
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