Chinese Social Media App RedNote Climbs to Top Spot Amid Looming TikTok Ban

RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform, has achieved the number one position on the Apple App Store charts. This rise comes as the United States is on the verge of banning another popular app, TikTok. RedNote offers a unique blend of pictures, short videos, and text posts within its "follow," "explore," and "nearby" feeds.

A casual glance at RedNote's Explore section reveals posts in both English and Chinese. Many users from the U.S. have started referring to themselves as "TikTok refugees" in various video posts, expressing their search for a new digital community due to the upcoming TikTok ban. Some users are engaging with Chinese users by asking, "What are some popular memes in China?"

Screenshot: The Verge

First launched in 2013 with a shopping-centric approach, RedNote now boasts over 300 million monthly active users and recorded profits exceeding $1 billion last year, as reported by Bloomberg.

Recently, the Supreme Court has engaged in oral arguments regarding whether to enforce the law that would ban TikTok or compel its owner, ByteDance, to sell to an American company. A decision from the Court is expected by January 19th.

While many TikTok users transition to RedNote, it’s important to note that the ban impacts other Chinese-owned applications as well, such as WeChat, as well as ByteDance’s Lemon8 and CapCut.