TikTok has temporarily avoided a shutdown as Americans continue to download and use Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media app that gained popularity in light of TikTok's recent uncertainties.
Previously, TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, experienced a brief outage in the United States due to a federal law that mandated its sale or ban. However, the app resumed operations after President-elect Donald J. Trump indicated he would postpone a ban through an executive order.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains unclear, while Xiaohongshu, also referred to as RedNote, has embraced its newfound visibility. Over the weekend, the app introduced a translation feature for posts and comments between Mandarin and English and has topped Apple’s most downloaded app rankings for much of the past week.
As of Monday, over 32.6 million posts had been made under the hashtag “tiktok refugee,” collectively garnering 2.3 billion views.
Users on Xiaohongshu expressed intentions to continue using the app despite TikTok's return. One U.S. user noted, “TikTok is back. Will I still continue using this app? Absolutely. I am going nowhere.”
Early adopters of Xiaohongshu outside China encountered language challenges, often relying on tools like ChatGPT and Google Translate for registration and interaction. Many users expressed their appreciation for the platform's exposure to different cultures, which they felt was limited on TikTok and other major social networks.
Chinese users have also provided guidance to new users on content restrictions related to China’s censorship laws, such as avoiding any posts featuring nudity or weapons.
American users on Xiaohongshu have shared personal experiences, including shopping trips and family dining expenses, sparking discussions on topics often deemed sensitive in China, such as sexuality and work hours.
Despite its success in China, Xiaohongshu has maintained a low profile internationally, with its English-language company news page remaining inactive for nearly two years.
The app has been actively recruiting, posting multiple job openings daily, including positions focused on content security and an assessment of content risks. Xiaohongshu is operated by Xingyin Information Technology, based in Shanghai, and has raised nearly $1 billion from various investors since its inception over a decade ago.
Xiaohongshu allows users to share short videos and text-based posts, often leading to extensive discussions in the comment sections. Its content recommendation algorithm functions similarly to TikTok's, aiming to engage users continuously.