Social media users in the United States have turned to Xiaohongshu, another Chinese app, ahead of a planned ban on TikTok by the US government.
Last year, a law was passed in the US forcing ByteDance, the owner of the popular video platform TikTok, to sell it or shut it down by January 19.
With the deadline approaching, Xiaohongshu — a lifestyle-focused alternative to Instagram and Pinterest — has surged to the top of the US Apple App Store’s free downloads chart.
The hashtag “#tiktokrefugee” had amassed over 290 million views by noon on Wednesday.
Here are some key facts about Xiaohongshu:
Inception
Xiaohongshu — also known as RedNote in English — was launched in Shanghai in 2013 by Charlwin Mao and Miranda Qu.
Xiaohongshu translates to “Little Red Book,” but it is not a reference to Mao Zedong’s famous book of quotations.
In an interview with research agency Shensixing, Xiaohongshu founder Mao said that his time at Bain & Company and Stanford Business School were “two major milestones” in his life.
He added, “Their primary color theme is red, so we decided to call it ‘Little Red Book.'”
Content
Unlike TikTok’s sister app Douyin or the micro-blogging site Weibo, Xiaohongshu leans heavily toward apolitical content like lifestyle, travel, beauty, and food topics.
Xiaohongshu’s “Explore” page is similar to TikTok’s “For You” page — both curated by an algorithm that suggests content based on users’ interests and interactions.
It is also an online marketplace similar to TikTok Shop, where users can directly buy items like clothing, makeup, and accessories.
Xiaohongshu is considered relatively less censored, with users posting LGBTQ content and discussing sensitive topics like the benefits of women staying single, which are often restricted in China.
The platform has popularized “da ka,” or “check-in” tourism, where travelers plan itineraries around scenic spots specifically for social media photos.
Like Instagram and TikTok, it has also become a hub for influencers endorsing sponsored products.
Language Barrier
Xiaohongshu’s main challenge in retaining these new US users is the language barrier.
The app is mostly in Chinese and lacks auto-translation tools.
The platform focuses heavily on content tailored to China, and most products only ship within the country.
In public group chats, new US users have asked for translations of slang terms and keywords to search for the content they are looking for.
Experts believe the influx of American users may be a short-term reaction rather than a long-term trend.
