Over 500,000 ‘TikTok refugees’ flock to China's RedNote

Just days before the U.S. is set to potentially ban the widely-used TikTok, Chinese social media platform RedNote has seen a significant surge in new users. According to sources speaking to Reuters, the relatively lesser-known app is swiftly leveraging this unexpected growth while carefully managing its English-language content.

On Monday, a live chat room named “TikTok Refugees” within RedNote attracted over 50,000 users from both the United States and China. Experienced Chinese members, somewhat puzzled by the influx, greeted their American counterparts warmly and exchanged discussions on topics such as cuisine and youth unemployment. However, there were moments when American participants broached more sensitive subjects. For instance, one user asked, “Is it acceptable to discuss the differences in laws between China and Hong Kong?” to which a Chinese user replied, “We prefer not to engage in that discussion here.”

These spontaneous cultural interactions are happening throughout RedNote, known domestically in China as Xiaohongshu. The app has climbed to the top of the U.S. download charts this week, largely driven by American users seeking an alternative to ByteDance-owned TikTok in anticipation of its impending ban.

A company insider informed Reuters that Xiaohongshu welcomed over 700,000 new users within just two days. The platform has not yet provided a statement in response to Reuters' request for comment. Data from app analytics firm Sensor Tower indicates that RedNote’s downloads in the U.S. have increased by more than 200% compared to the previous year and surged by 194% from the week before.

Lemon8, another social media app under ByteDance, experienced a similar spike last month, with December downloads rising by 190% to approximately 3.4 million. The unexpected wave of new users appears to have taken RedNote off guard, as two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the company is urgently seeking ways to moderate English content and develop English-Chinese translation features.

Unlike many Chinese social platforms that offer separate versions for domestic and international markets to comply with local regulations, RedNote operates a single version of its app. Despite this, the company’s leadership is eager to harness the current attention surge, viewing it as an opportunity to expand globally and potentially rival TikTok’s international success.

RedNote, valued at $17 billion and backed by venture capital, enables users to curate and share photos, videos, and text to document their lives. It is considered a potential candidate for an initial public offering in China. Over the years, RedNote has evolved into a primary search tool for its more than 300 million users seeking travel advice, skincare products, and restaurant suggestions.

Stocks of some Chinese companies associated with RedNote, such as Hangzhou Onechance Tech Corp, saw significant increases, with shares rising up to 20% on Tuesday, hitting the daily trading limit. This surge in U.S. users occurs ahead of the January 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. over national security concerns. Currently, TikTok boasts around 170 million American users, roughly half of the country's population, and remains particularly popular among younger demographics and the advertisers targeting them.

Stella Kittrell, a 29-year-old content creator from Baltimore, Maryland, remarked, “Americans joining RedNote feels like a bold statement against the U.S. government’s excessive interference in business and privacy issues.” She added that her move to RedNote was motivated by the desire to collaborate more with Chinese companies, which she found beneficial. Some users have indicated that they turned to RedNote to find alternatives to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Elon Musk’s X, expressing skepticism about the ability to rebuild their TikTok followings on these other apps. Brian Atabansi, a 29-year-old business analyst and content creator based in San Diego, California, commented, “It’s not the same as Instagram, X, or any other app, mainly because TikTok naturally fosters community building in a unique way.”