Rather than wallow in the grief of potentially losing access to their favorite short-form video app, many TikTokers Coming to RedNoteA Chinese social media platform also known as Xiaohongshu. I decided to spend some time on the platform myself, and it seems that the so-called “Tik-Tok refugees” are excited to interact with a community of mainly Chinese-speaking users – and vice versa.
Launched in 2013 as a shopping platform, RedNote has become one of China’s most popular social apps featuring photos, videos and written content. Now it is seeing another surge in users from other parts of the world, with more than 700,000 users connecting to RedNote in just two days. According to a report of Reuters. The number is still small, only a fraction of it 150 million Americans TikTok It is reported that they were already using the app as early as 2023.
As noted by CNN, The name Xiaohongshu translates to “Little Red Book,” which “can be seen as a tongue-in-cheek reference to a red-covered book of quotes by Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong.” Despite the US government’s plan to ban TikTok, many US users seem to be using the Chinese platform – But in a deeply non-serious way.
Of all the Chinese-language posts featuring skinny fit checks, mouthwatering food videos, and memes I still don’t fully understand, Tiktok Expats is the stuff. Many joke about their sudden appearance on the app, too A user What Chinese users might be thinking and wondering after seeing the influx of US-based users Another performance Their gradual transformation from gun-wielding, Buk-e merchant wearing American to Chinese-speaking Rednote user. There are others Just say “hello”. to their new community — some of whom wrote captions in what I assume is machine-translated Chinese.
More interesting though, are all RedNote users welcoming TikTokers with open arms. Several RedNote users are eager to introduce the app while also sharing some tips and tricks on how to navigate it. “Now is the perfect time to dive into Chinese culture through RedNote with Chinese New Year,” says one creator, adding that users on the platform are “Luigi, Trump, and Squid game” Some even offer to teach Chinese to their new community members.
But many TikTokers are equally curious about RedNote users in China as well. “Chinese friends, post pictures of your food or snacks for today! Curious to see what you usually eat,” writes one user. Another asks, “I’m American. Do you all like us? We know you are not the enemy. Can we all be friends?”
This trend is actually healthy, and I’m here for it, but I’m not confident it will actually last. If these apps grow in popularity, they could potentially face a ban. But for RedNote the migration is likely just a trend – and the trend lasts as long as it takes for someone else to change it.
