As the potential US ban of TikTok looms due to national security concerns, some American users are exploring alternatives, most notably Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese social media app. According to a report in New York Times, Manimatana Lee, who built a TikTok following of nearly 10,000 with videos of her daily life, including vacuuming with her baby in tow, encouraged her followers to join her on Xiaohongshu.
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Her video of dancing and doing dishes while wearing her sleeping child garnered over a million views. Lee’s sentiment, “How funny would it be if they ban TikTok and we all just move over to this Chinese app,” reflects a growing trend.
Xiaohongshu, meaning “little red book” in Mandarin, became the most downloaded free app in the US Apple store on Tuesday (January 15). Despite its primarily Chinese user base of over 300 million, Americans are flocking to the platform, some explicitly stating they disagree with Washington’s concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ties.
Xiaohongshu app is primarily Chinese
While TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is a global phenomenon (excluding China), U.S. lawmakers worry about potential Chinese government access to user data and the spread of misinformation. Xiaohongshu, often nicknamed “Red Note,” hasn’t deterred new American users despite its name’s association with Mao Zedong’s sayings. As Lee puts it, “I don’t really care if I’m using a Chinese app at all. It’s like a place for me to escape reality. And if it’s making me feel good, I’m here for it.”
Though a lawsuit by American creators (with TikTok funding their legal fees) challenges the potential TikTok ban, the interest in Xiaohongshu appears organic. The hashtag “TikTokrefugee” has garnered significant attention on the platform, fostering closer connections between American and Chinese online communities than TikTok ever facilitated. This is partly because Xiaohongshu displays user locations (city/province for Chinese users, country for others), leading to direct interactions.
Navigating the primarily Mandarin-based app has presented challenges, with users relying on translations and sharing tips. Xiaohongshu, previously dominated by Chinese users (85% of traffic until late December, according to Similarweb), is particularly popular with women in their 20s and 30s, featuring active discussions similar to Reddit. Live group chats have sprung up, with topics ranging from urban safety to censorship, even discussing how to avoid platform bans for sensitive political discussions.
