Duolingo Says It's Seen '216% Growth In New Chinese (mandarin) Learners' As Tiktok Users Try Out A Competing App

As millions of U.S. TikTok users flock to Chinese-language societal app RedNote successful ray of a imaginable TikTok ban, overmuch Americans are trying to study Chinese than ever.

Duolingo, a relationship learning app utilized by millions, reported connected Wednesday that it had seen a 216% maturation successful caller Mandarin Chinese learners successful nan U.S. this week compared to past year.

"Learning Mandarin retired of spite?" Duolingo stated successful a position connected X. "You're not alone."

— Duolingo (@duolingo) January 15, 2025

The integrated push to study Mandarin arrives astatine a clip erstwhile a Chinese-language app is burgeoning successful popularity. Reuters reported connected Thursday that successful conscionable 1 day, from Sunday to Monday, astir 3 cardinal caller users joined RedNote.

The app is simply a Chinese TikTok replacement that includes short videos, images, shopping, and more. While TikTok is owned by ByteDance, RedNote is owned by Xingyin Information Technology.

Related: 'More Than Marketing Tools': Some Business Owners Are Worried About nan Possible TikTok Ban

Data obtained by Reuters from investigation institution Sensor Tower showed that U.S. downloads of RedNote were up 200% year-over-year. As of Wednesday, RedNote was nan apical societal app connected nan Google Play store, up from its position of number 162 past year.

RedNote's influx of caller users, and Duolingo's uptick successful Mandarin Chinese learners, tin immoderate beryllium explained by TikTok users looking for alternatives erstwhile faced pinch a imaginable TikTok ban.

A U.S. norm passed successful April ordered ByteDance to discarded TikTok by Jan. 19 aliases look a prohibition connected nan platform. Though nan Supreme Court could halt nan norm earlier nan Jan. 19 deadline, arsenic of Thursday, it had not yet released a decision.

Related: Is TikTok Considering Selling Its U.S. Business to Elon Musk? Here's What TikTok Says.

TikTok's 170 cardinal U.S. users are now trying to find different societal media avenues, including RedNote. The move from 1 Chinese app to different is simply a clear relationship that location is petition successful nan U.S. for Chinese societal media apps, per TechCrunch.

TikTok stated successful a tribunal filing past play that a prohibition would costs U.S. creators and mini businesses an estimated $1.3 cardinal successful 1 month.

U.S. usage of TikTok was down 2.1% week-over-week up of nan imaginable ban, down to astir 82.2 cardinal regular progressive users, according to Reuters.

Related: 'Sent Ripples Through nan Marketing World': What Businesses Can Do Now to Prepare for a Possible TikTok Ban, According to a CEO