With a possible TikTok ban in the U.S. looming, people are downloading a new social media app that’s catching the eye of many content creators, called RedNote.
The Chinese social media platform is popular amongst the younger generations in the country, and other Mandarin-speaking areas.
There has been a surge of downloads for the RedNote App and it is the most downloaded free app in the U.S. Apple store since Monday, according to media reports. The hashtag “TikTokrefugee” is going viral on the app, and has been viewed 100 million times, as of publication. Under the hashtag, new users are being taught how to work through the app.
The fate of TikTok is yet to be determined, as the Supreme Court will decide if TikTok may be banned due to national security concerns, making the app inaccessible to users. Now, many American users are seeking alternatives to find and post engaging short videos and trends.
HOW DOES REDNOTE WORK?
RedNote was launched in 2013 and is considered by many as the “Chinese version of Instagram”. The layout is similar to the photo-driven social network Pinterest, and has a combination of live streaming options, videos, and even includes an in-app shopping feature.
WHY ARE PEOPLE CHOOSING REDNOTE?
Some users on TikTok are calling the switch over to RedNote a “great way to protest” and have been appreciative of the developers for translating the Mandarin language that dominates the app to English.
Another user from New York City is saying that “everything that was great about Tiktok was actually from China’s FYP (referring to RedNote).”
The migration of TikTok users to RedNote is also connecting American people to the Chinese population. According to new users, RedNote has been very welcoming to the English-speaking individuals who are joining in from all over the globe.
TikTok faces a ban on January 19 unless its parent company, ByteDance, agrees to sell the app — a move the company has shown no interest in making. If the ban is enforced, the app will likely be pulled from app stores, preventing its 170 million U.S. users from accessing updates.
