The Great Social Media Migration: US Users Migrate to RedNote, Igniting Unprecedented US-China Ties
With the uncertainty hanging over TikTok's future in the United States, American social media users are fast embracing an unexpected alternative: Xiaohongshu, also known to Americans as "RedNote." A popular Chinese app originally intended for Chinese users, it has suddenly skyrocketed to unprecedented levels of global downloads, forming a rare bridge of cultural exchange between Chinese and American users.
As the country's concerns over TikTok's possible ban continue to rise, Xiaohongshu has become the most popular free app in the Apple's U.S. App Store. Established in 2013, the app boasts 300 million users in China and has been the go-to place for consumers looking to share tips on fashion, travel, and lifestyle for several years. Recent data shows that U.S. downloads of the app nearly tripled in a week, with over 700,000 new users joining in just two days.
The influx of American users, many self-proclaimed “TikTok refugees,” has triggered an unexpected cultural phenomenon. Hashtags like “TikTok refugee” have accumulated hundreds of millions of views, as American users express defiance against Washington’s stance on TikTok. “Our government is out of their minds if they think we’ll stand for this TikTok ban,” commented one user in a video that quickly gained tens of thousands of likes. Others appreciated Xiaohongshu, claiming it's even better than TikTok. The mass exodus has generated a surprising, cross-cultural cordiality among Chinese and American users. Where some American newbies asked others to be cautious about the service and not politicize, the Chinese users made the newcomers feel very welcome. Tutorials about how to get started on Xiaohongshu and the appeals for a more globalistic mindset show this developing sense of community.
"This might be a historic moment," commented one Chinese user. "Ordinary people from our two countries have never really connected like this before. Let's use this chance to engage meaningfully." Others took the opportunity for their own benefit, such as using the new American friends to learn better English.
According to Ivy Yang, a tech analyst and founder of Wavelet Strategy, this interaction is "one of the most organic forms of cultural exchange between the U.S. and China in recent years." She pointed out how users creatively overcome language and cultural barriers to build a shared online community.
This new connectivity resonates with the very brief but highly impactful conversations held on Clubhouse in 2021, where Chinese and American users freely had open-ended discussions prior to this clubhouse being banned by Chinese censors. So far, Xiaohongshu has steered clear of major controversies, and most of the discussions have avoided 'politically sensitive' topics.
While not constructed for native speakers of the English language, Xiaohongshu focuses towards a significantly larger Chinese base audience. Rather than influencer-created content, this algorithm primarily tracks user interest that encourages innovation while promoting more specialized creators. Though TikTok, owned by ByteDance and built specifically to cater towards audiences worldwide, Shanghai-based Xingin Information Technology runs Xiaohongshu, an exclusively localized site.
Xiaohongshu is not the only app that benefits from the uncertain fate of TikTok. A ByteDance-owned app named Lemon8 also boasts Instagram-like features and experienced an increase in downloads. Nevertheless, its fate in the United States is yet to be confirmed, as every ByteDance platform may become a victim of the proposed TikTok ban.
The meteoric rise of Xiaohongshu shows that global social media users are willing to look for new spaces for expression and connection. Whether the long-term effects will be significant or not, this migration has undoubtedly given way to unprecedented cross-cultural and intellectual exchange, which is changing the digital landscape in real time.
