‘TikTok refugees’ propel Xiaohongshu to No. 1 downloaded app in US

What happened American netizens are flocking to Chinese social e-commerce app Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) ahead of the U.S.’s impending TikTok ban on Sunday, January 19. Over the past week, Xiaohongshu has experienced a surge in American users creating accounts, causing hashtags such as #rednote and #TikTokrefugees to go viral. At the time of writing, Xiaohongshu remains the top-downloaded social networking app on Apple’s U.S. App Store. Americans are choosing to introduce themselves with posts like, “Yes, I’m from America because of the TikTok ban lol. Anybody else from America?” Comments on these posts feature users sharing their locations, including California, Missouri, New York, Texas, Ohio, and Colorado. One user humorously noted, “Lmfaooo the migration is hilarious.” Chinese netizens have responded with both amusement and confusion to the sudden influx. One user remarked, “Why today so many English into my eyes! Oh my eyes! I can not read it and translate it!” Another netizen welcomed the newcomers, writing, “Welcome! Finally, we break the invisible wall together!” A third user noted, “Interesting. Little Red Book has become international overnight.” Meanwhile, speakers fluent in both Chinese and English are stepping up to provide translation assistance, as English content grows increasingly prominent on the platform. Candise Lin, a content creator and Cantonese tutor with over 680,000 followers on Instagram, shared yesterday via her Stories that Xiaohongshu’s algorithm has been pushing posts related to the phenomenon onto her feed, further stoking online conversation. One post that is gaining particular traction reads “How do Chinese people feel about Americans coming here because of the TikTok ban?” The Jing Take If the U.S.’s proposed TikTok ban moves forward, Xiaohongshu could experience a significant shift as its primary user base becomes more international. But this comes with its own set of challenges. Much of Xiaohongshu’s content and interface is in Chinese, which local users have pointed out might limit the enjoyment for non-Chinese-speaking Americans. Despite this, American users are treating their migration as an opportunity to introduce U.S. culture to Chinese audiences while also explaining the TikTok ban, creating a potential bridge for cross-border dialogue between Chinese and American Gen Zs. For content creators who previously relied on TikTok for income, Xiaohongshu offers a potential new platform — though its monetization and sponsorship options differ significantly. Xiaohongshu currently does not offer the same robust creator funds or ad revenue-sharing programs that many influencers depend on. As a result, U.S.-based creators are exploring alternatives like Instagram’s Reels (which mimics TikTok’s format), YouTube Shorts, and ByteDance-owned Lemon8, often referred to as Xiaohongshu’s Western counterpart. However, many American users have explained their preference for Xiaohongshu over Reels, citing dissatisfaction with Mark Zuckerberg’s recent shifts at Meta in preparation for Trump 2.0. As for brands, Xiaohongshu is already emerging as a crucial platform for accessing the vast Chinese market. If the TikTok ban takes effect, the app's sudden spike in popularity offers a unique opportunity for retailers – both local and international – to expand their global reach. That said, it’s a delicate balancing act. As Xiaohongshu grows into China’s leading app and adapts to globalization, it risks losing the distinct local identity that has been central to its success. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

‘TikTok refugees’ propel Xiaohongshu to No. 1 downloaded app in US

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Published January 13, 2025

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‘TikTok refugees’ propel Xiaohongshu to No. 1 downloaded app in US