More than half a million people leave TikTok for new Chinese app

Within two days, Xiaohongshu attracted more than 700,000 new users, causing the app to quickly climb to the top of the download charts in the US.

Xiaohongshu, launched in 2013, is a lifestyle sharing platform where users post photos, videos and articles about their daily lives. The app has become a popular search engine for more than 300 million users, offering recommendations on travel, cosmetics and food.

The influx of American users into Xiaohongshu has created interesting cultural exchanges. In a chat room called “TikTok Refugees,” more than 50,000 American and Chinese users have come together to discuss food and youth unemployment. However, sensitive topics such as the legal differences between China and Hong Kong are often avoided.

The surge in users comes ahead of a Jan. 19 deadline when ByteDance must sell TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. over national security concerns. TikTok has about 170 million U.S. users, many of them young people, who are a key target for advertisers.

Many American users see the move to Xiaohongshu as a protest against the TikTok ban and government control of tech platforms. Some are looking for alternatives to Facebook, Instagram, and X, but are concerned about their ability to recreate communities and followings on these platforms.

The explosion of American users has posed challenges for Xiaohongshu in moderating English content and developing translation tools, but the company sees this as an opportunity to expand its global reach, similar to the success of TikTok.

Cao Phong (according to Forbes, Newsweek, Reuters)