As TikTok faces a ban in the US, thousands of American users are flocking to a little-known Chinese alternative called RedNote.
On Monday, the China-owned app, known locally as ‘Xiaohongshu’, became the most downloaded free app in Apple’s App Store in the US.
The name has been linked with the colour of the Chinese Communist Party, although Chinese culture in general reveres the colour as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity.
‘RedNote’ also evokes the Chinese tradition of giving and receiving red envelopes containing monetary gifts and well-wishes.
On RedNote, some users have been welcoming ‘TikTok refugees’ – TikTok users who are jumping ship in the lead-up to Sunday (January 19).
If TikTok’s owner doesn’t sell the platform to a non-‘foreign adversary’ by then, it will become illegal for American internet services to support or distribute it.
But how does RedNote work? And is it really that different from TikTok?
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest social media rival.
RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, is a Chinese social media platform that combines elements of Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest
The Chinese app, a rival to TikTok, became the most downloaded free app in Apple’s App Store in the US on Monday
WHAT IS REDNOTE?
RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu which is the Mandarin term for ‘little red book’, is a Chinese social media and e-commerce platform.
Launched in Shanghai in 2013, RedNote combines elements of Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, allowing users to share lifestyle content, product reviews, and short videos.
RedNote also lets users livestream video clips and offers integrated e-commerce features that allow people to shop directly within the app.
While TikTok focuses on short-form videos, RedNote also includes images, reviews and community discussions.
With over 300 million monthly active users, it has gained popularity as an alternative to TikTok amid concerns over a potential ban on the latter in the US.
During the pandemic, RedNote saw explosive growth among younger Chinese users – particularly women – who now make up 79 per cent of its 300 million active monthly users, according to New York Post.
Although the two apps look similar, RedNote is not a TikTok clone and the two are owned by different companies – Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology and Beijing-based ByteDance, respectively.
Much like on TikTok, RedNote users vertically scroll through feeds of short-form videos based on their interests
‘RedNote’ has been linked with the colour of the Chinese Communist Party, but Chinese culture reveres the colour as a symbol of good fortune. It also evokes the Chinese tradition of giving and receiving red envelopes containing monetary gifts and well-wishes (file photo)
RedNote was launched in 2013 – three years before TikTok – and has long been popular in China but is now being discovered by a western audience.
HOW DOES REDNOTE WORK?
Much like on TikTok, RedNote users vertically scroll through feeds of short-form videos based on their interests.
RedNote’s sign-up process is fairly simple, although it does take personal data including your name, age, email address and phone number.
If you enter your phone number for the login you’ll have to enter a verification code, although many western users have said they haven’t received theirs.
After you download the free app to your phone, you can sign in with your mobile number or alternatively your Apple or Google account.
From there you choose your gender, age and interests, from travel to fitness, painting, pets, recipes, movies and video games.
Then you tap on ‘start exploring’ and you should be directed to the home screen, which will feature a range of tailored videos based on your selections.
RedNote also lets users livestream video clips and offers integrated e-commerce features that allows people to shop directly within the app
‘TikTok refugees’ is a trending term on social media, referring to the people jumping ship as a ban in the US looms
Tapping on a red cross icon at the bottom will let you create and share your own posts, while you can comment on other people’s posts.
WHY ARE PEOPLE JOINING REDNOTE?
TikTok could be banned across the US on January 19, meaning users are scrambling to find alternative apps with similar features.
A US law sets a January 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell the popular social media platform or face a ban on national security grounds.
A lawyer for TikTok, Noel Francisco, said it would be impossible to complete a sale by then of the short video app used by 170 million Americans and said the site would quickly go dark and ‘essentially the platform shuts down’.
TikTok also claims the decision would be a violation of free speech for its millions of American users in the nation.
WHAT’S THE VERDICT ON REDNOTE?
Nina, a new RedNote user from Texas, described the Chinese people as ‘so kind’, adding: ‘I wouldn’t want to part ways with such a lovely community.’
Much like on TikTok, RedNote users vertically scroll through feeds of short-form videos based on their interests. RedNote’s sign-up process is fairly simple, although it does take personal data including your name, age, email address and phone number
An X user posted this RedNote video of a Chinese user addressing Americans, who said ‘it’s so amazing to have you here’, adding ‘it feels so special’
Americans are ‘helping the Chinese with their English homework’, according to one X (Twitter) user who posted a screenshot
Americans are ‘finding themselves having lovely interactions with the millions of Chinese citizens’, this X user posted
‘After I opened an account on RedNote, I found it very similar to TikTok and it’s one of the few Chinese apps that are available in the US App Store,’ Nina told Global Times.
Although RedNote’s primary language is Mandarin, American users are reportedly being helped to navigate the platform by its predominantly eastern userbase.
In turn, Americans are ‘helping the Chinese with their English homework’, according to one X (Twitter) user who posted a screenshot.
On X, other users have been sharing their experiences, with one posting: ‘Existing [RedNote] users are super welcoming.’
One said Americans are ‘finding themselves having lovely interactions with the millions of Chinese citizens on the app & inadvertently undoing decades of U.S. propaganda.’
Another user posted a RedNote video featuring a Chinese user addressing Americans, saying ‘it’s so amazing to have you here’, adding ‘it feels so special’.
