Before the ban, TikTok users in America flocked to ‘China’s Instagram’. social media

Taipei, Taiwan – As TikTok bans loom in the United States, young Americans are flocking to the Chinese social media platform Xiahongshu as “TikTok refugees” in search of a similar experience.

The app has risen to the top spot on the iOS and Google Play stores in the US in recent days, as users prepare for TikTok to be banned on national security grounds from Sunday until Chinese parent company ByteDance returns ownership of it. Doesn’t take it.

Chinese lifestyle app Lemon8, also owned by ByteDance, ranked as the second most downloaded app.

Xiaohongshu, which has been described as China’s answer to Instagram, allows users to post photos, videos and text and is known for its female-heavy user base.

Claiming approximately 300 million monthly active users, Xiaohongshu’s reach is small compared to other popular apps in China, such as Sina Weibo and WeChat, which claim more than 1.2 billion users.

The surge in new users, some of them describing themselves as “TikTok refugees”, is now flooding the app’s “Discover” page with videos including how to use the app’s new nickname “Rednote” in the US. Suggestions are being sought regarding the method.

“Hello. I don’t know what’s going on now. The Americans are coming here. Sorry if you all hate us. I promise we’ll do our best,” calling himself “Star404.” a female user said in a brief video posted on Tuesday.

“Don’t even worry, we’re going to do great. It’s much better than TikTok. Just not meta. Instagram Reels, I can dig some. Facebook and YouTube shorts, no shots. That will never happen,” she said.

The irony of many users switching from one Chinese-owned app to another is not lost on observers like Ryan Broderick, writer for Garbage Day, a newspaper that covers the Internet.

“It’s definitely ridiculous that American teens are protesting the TikTok ban by using a very culturally Chinese app,” Broderick told Al Jazeera.

“Right now, RedNote isn’t blocking Chinese content or requiring users to have a Chinese phone number, so it’s turned into a kind of fun cultural anarchy on the app, an experience that’s never really happened on TikTok, ” He said.

“Star404’s” post garnered more than 4,000 comments in 24 hours, mostly from Chinese users welcoming him to the platform or mocking the language challenges.

Another user, “Fern”, expressed her gratitude for the flood of Chinese followers she received after joining the platform.

“We need to talk to you guys about broadcasting my video about going to Rednote to 50,000 new followers in less than 24 hours. You guys are crazy,” he said.

“But thank you so much for all your support, I really appreciate it.”

Despite being entertaining for many Chinese Xiahongshu users, the increase in the number of American users has reportedly put the app owner in an awkward position.

Chinese media outlet PCOnline reported on Tuesday, citing company sources, that Xiaohongshu employees have been instructed “not to discuss, not to publicize and not to share” news about its new US user base.

“This wave of traffic has become the sword of Damocles hanging over Xiaohongshu’s head. “In fact, for Xiaohongshu, which inexplicably received this traffic, the risks far outweigh the opportunities,” the report said.

Those potential risks include regulatory complications.

Chinese social media platforms generally require users to register with a Chinese phone number, while content is subject to government censorship.

For this reason, Chinese tech companies often create domestic and foreign versions of their apps, said Yiwen Lu, a researcher at ChinaTalk, a newsletter and podcast that focuses on Chinese technology.

TikTok is an international version of Douyin, while Lemon8 was designed by ByteDance specifically for the overseas market.

For now, Chinese and US users are seeing the same content on Xiaohongshu.

However, some users have reminded their American counterparts that the app comes with its own rules.

“Friendly reminder: On Chinese social media platforms, please do not mention sensitive topics such as politics, religion and drugs!!! Please follow the One China policy and reject pornography, gambling and drugs,” one user wrote under Star404’s post.

“(You) can say everything here, except history (of China) from 1949-2025,” another user said.

ChinaTalk’s Lu said US users will have difficulty replicating their TikTok experience on the app – especially when it comes to monetizing content.

“Monetization models vary greatly – XHS positions itself as a shopping platform, with most creators earning revenue through paid partnerships. This difference makes it challenging for creators to completely transition their work and income streams to XHS in the short term,” Lu told Al Jazeera.

Livestream shopping, a hugely popular form of e-commerce in China, has taken Xiaohongshu by storm in recent months.

In the US, many TikTok users still shop through links to Amazon or the shopping platform LTK, short for “like to know”.

Both Lu and Broderick expressed skepticism that the influx of American users would continue due to differences between the platforms and the fact that many users had joined as a protest.

Still, the migration to Xiaohongshu should serve as a warning to the U.S. government and Big Tech, Broderick said.

“It’s a fun way to make American politicians realize that Chinese apps are coming to America, whether they like it or not,” he said.

“And, likewise, it’s a good way to tell Silicon Valley that their products are stabilizing and that no federal restrictions will get young people excited about meta products again.”