TikTokers flee to Mandarin-language app RedNote ahead of U.S. ban

RedNote is currently the top free app in the U.S. app store.

By Emma Keates  |  January 14, 2025 | 4:37pm
Photo: Cheng Xin/Getty Images
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TikTokers flee to Mandarin-language app RedNote ahead of U.S. ban

A few months ago, we dubbed The Onion‘s (sadly ill-fated) attempt to purchase InfoWars as the funniest possible thing that could have happened. If that’s the funniest thing, the rise of RedNote isn’t far behind.

As you probably already know, Congress passed a bill seeking to ban TikTok from the app store or force the company to sell to a U.S. buyer by this Sunday, January 19. The Supreme Court is still deliberating, but it currently looks like the app is going to shut down. The main concern the government has cited is one of national security; the app’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, and could allegedly turn massive amounts of user data over to its government. 

What were 170 million future “TikTok refugees” to do? Set up shop on a brand new Chinese app, apparently. Over the past few days, users have flocked to RedNote (known as Xiaohongshu in China), a popular social media platform similar to TikTok. The app is now the number one free download in the U.S. app store, despite the fact that most of the UI (including the entire terms and conditions page) is in Mandarin.

They may have lost their saved recipes and a few years of makeup tips, but the new RedNote transplants seem to be having a ton of fun. Even in dark and divided times, human beings are prone to seek connection and common ground, and that’s exactly what users on both sides of the cultural divide have been doing. The Guardian reports that a live chat dubbed “TikTok Refugees” saw 50,000 users from both the U.S. and China enter the room. The app’s team—who apparently did not see the surge coming—has been scrambling to build English-Chinese translation tools, and users from both countries are making efforts to speak each other’s languages to make the transition smoother.

It’s also led to a delightful bit of cultural exchange that feels very first day of a semester abroad for both parties. Maybe homework help and a good old-fashioned tailgate will be the things to heal the planet after all.

 
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