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What’s going on with RedNote? A media expert breaks down the app TikTok users are flocking to and the cultural shift happening there.

Millions of TikTok users, fleeing the TikTok ban that took effect on January 19, 2025, have turned to Red Note, a Chinese app, after TikTok was shut down just before midnight on January 18.

On RedNote, former TikTokers and native users are bonding over cat memes, sharing jokes about the ban, and having open discussions about topics that are often avoided. This unexpected connection is bridging years of digital separation between the U.S. and China and echoes the internet’s early vision of a global village, offering a glimmer of hope for communication and unity in a divided world.

I’m a researcher who studies Chinese and transnational digital media, and as a Chinese person living in the U.S., I’ve been using Red Note since 2014. On the morning of January 14, 2025, while scrolling through RedNote as usual, I noticed a change in my For You Page. Along with my usual content of TV drama, celebrity news, and makeup tips, I began to see posts from self-identified “TikTok refugees” with U.S. IP addresses. As I kept scrolling, the algorithm began flooding my feed with more and more posts from these new users, all seeking to rebuild their communities on Red Note.

This rapid shift was undeniable. Within just 24 hours, the hashtag #TikTokRefugee# on RedNote had racked up 36.2 million views and sparked millions of conversations. Red Note even climbed to the top of Apple’s App Store free app charts. Instead of moving to U.S.-based alternatives like Instagram or X, users chose to join another Chinese platform, Red Note, as a way to protest the U.S. tech giants they blamed for pushing the TikTok ban.

This wave of refugees was fueled by TikTok influencers, like @whattheish, recommending RedNote as the new TikTok. Although Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, might seem like the obvious choice, it’s not accessible to international users. Douyin is only available in Chinese app stores and requires a Chinese phone number to register. What makes Red Note unique is its accessibility outside China. It’s available globally through app stores in different regions and doesn’t require a Chinese phone number to sign up.

Unlike TikTok, which segregates users by geographic region with different versions of the app, RedNote – or Xiaohongshu in Chinese – is the same platform for everyone, no matter where they’re located. While ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, launched it as a U.S. subsidiary in 2015 and partnered with Oracle in 2022 to handle American user data, Red Note is owned by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology Ltd., which remains free from direct U.S. oversight.

RedNote’s global accessibility aligns with the original vision of Xiaohongshu. The name “Little Red Book” often leads people to think of Mao’s revolutionary text, suggesting a communist connection, but the platform’s goals couldn’t be more different. Launched in 2013, Xiaohongshu was created by Qu Fang and Mao Wenchao, who met while shopping in the U.S. The app was designed as a platform that blended social media, lifestyle content, and e-commerce, with a focus on global travel and shopping.

While RedNote has expanded its audience over time, its core user base remains international students, overseas Chinese communities, and global travelers. The app’s name reflects its original purpose: to be a “red” guide to foreign travel and shopping. It serves as both a travel bible for Chinese tourists and a curator of glamorous foreign lifestyles.

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