The odds of a TikTok ban are rising fast, according to Polymarket. A law passed last year requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the app to a U.S. company or shut it down by January 19. If a deal is in progress, they might get a 100 day extension.
With the potential ban looming, thousands of American users (aka #TikTokRefugees) are flocking to RedNote, a lesser known Chinese social media app.
On Monday, RedNote — known as Xiaohongshu in China — skyrocketed to become the top free app in Apple’s U.S. App Store.
What is RedNote?
RedNote is a TikTok competitor popular with young people in China, Taiwan and other Mandarin-speaking populations.
Think of RedNote as TikTok + Instagram + Pinterest. With around 300 million monthly users, the app is wildly popular among young people. Its urban-savvy users share lifestyle tips on everything from dating to fashion trends.
A Gold Rush for Likes and Followers
RedNote is rolling out the welcome mat for new American users, who are sharing their experiences using the hashtag #TikTokRefugee. Over 100,000 posts teach newcomers how to navigate the platform and even sprinkle in basic Chinese phrases.
One new user joked, “To our Chinese hosts, thanks for having us—sorry in advance for the chaos.” The friendly banter between American and Chinese users has sparked hilarious exchanges, with some TikTok influencers even helping Chinese users with their English homework.
Another user commented, “On TikTok, it’s mostly Americans interacting with Americans. But on RedNote, Americans are chatting with Chinese users directly—and finding out they’re just as unserious as we are!”
A simple post tagged #TikTokRefugee can attract thousands of views, hundreds of likes, and tons of quirky comments. Just upload a picture, add the hashtag, and watch the fun roll in. You might even pick up a few Mandarin phrases along the way!
Spotlight: Gleemo – The Influencer Discovery Platform
Looking to analyze TikTok influencers or track their engagement metrics? Check out Gleemo, a powerful platform that lets you discover influencers across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Amazon.
With a massive database of over 100 million influencers and AI-powered semantic search, Gleemo makes it easy to find the right creators for your campaigns—no matter how niche. Advanced filters let you pinpoint exactly what you need, from mega-influencers to micro and nano creators.
Sign up for free at Gleemo.ai and get free search credits to explore TikTok influencer data. And stay tuned—we might just add a RedNote influencer section soon! 😄
