TikTok Alternative RedNote Rises to #1 Spot on App Store Amidst TikTok Ban

Users have been flocking to Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu (RedNote) as the looming US TikTok ban approaches. Even in Canada, the TikTok alternative has garnered a ton of attention, rising to the #1 spot on the ‘Top Apps’ list on the App Store.

This week is quite possibly the last week TikTok is in operation within the US. The Supreme Court ruled that the ByteDance-owned company must divest its operations in America by January 19 or face a national ban due to security concerns. Users have taken to installing an using Rednote as an alternative and have been using it in protest of the ban.

For the uninitiated, Xiaohongshu’s name is derived from the English meaning “little red book.” Elsewhere in the world, the app is known as RedNote. Much like TikTok, RedNote specializes in the sharing of short-form videos. The app also incorporates e-commerce as well as traditional posting.

Up until December, 85 percent of activity on RedNote was from China-based users, according to Similarweb.  As reported by Reuters, RedNote has seen a boon of roughly 700,000 new users as “TikTok refugees” look at alternatives. Of course, there are still Instagram and YouTube Shorts as viable options. However, when an entire platform is seemingly being taken away from the 170 million American users, new options are undoubtedly being considered.

This week, many Chinese users on RedNote began welcoming North American users with selfies and messages. With open arms, the TikTok refugees, as referred to by RedNote users, are being invited to participate in the online community. However, some users have been more critical of North American users taking an interest in the app. Some users are trolling new users by saying “Welcome, I’m your Chinese spy.”

There are still a few days before the TikTok ban begins in the US. It’s unclear if the ban will actually go into effect or an invested party may step forward to take over the US operations from ByteDance.