Rednote: What It’s Like Using The Chinese App Tiktokers Are Flocking To

Instead of wallowing successful misery astir perchance losing entree to their favourite short-form video app, galore TikTokers are flocking to RedNote, a Chinese societal media level too called Xiaohongshu. I’ve decided to locomotion immoderate clip connected nan level myself, and it looks for illustration alleged “TikTok refugees” are excited astir interacting pinch a statement chiefly comprised of Chinese-speaking users — and vice versa.

Launched successful 2013 arsenic a shopping platform, RedNote has grown into 1 of China’s astir celebrated societal apps featuring photos, videos, and written content. Now it’s seeing different spike successful users from different information of nan globe, pinch overmuch than 700,000 users joining RedNote successful conscionable 2 days, according to a study from Reuters. The number is still small, astatine conscionable a fraction of nan 150 cardinal Americans TikTok reported were already utilizing nan app successful early 2023.

As noted by CNN, nan punishment Xiaohongshu translates to “little reddish book,” which “could beryllium seen arsenic a tongue-in-cheek reference to a red-covered book of quotations from nan founding begetter of Communist China, Mao Zedong.” Many US users look to beryllium utilizing nan Chinese level retired of spite of nan US government’s strategy to prohibition TikTok — but successful a profoundly unserious way.

Amongst each nan Chinese-language posts depicting sleek caller checks, mouthwatering nutrient videos, and memes I don’t alternatively understand yet, is contented from TikTok expats. Many joke astir their abrupt value connected nan app, pinch 1 personification wondering what Chinese users mightiness deliberation aft seeing an influx of US-based users and different showing their gradual translator from a gun-wielding, Buc-ee’s merch-wearing American into a Chinese-speaking RedNote user. Others are simply saying “hello” to their caller statement — immoderate of whom personification written captions successful what I’d presume is machine-translated Chinese.

Even overmuch absorbing though, are each nan RedNote users welcoming TikTokers pinch unfastened arms. Several RedNote users are eager to coming nan app while too sharing immoderate tips and tricks connected really to navigate it. One creator says, “now’s nan cleanable clip to dive into Chinese culture” done RedNote pinch nan Chinese New Year coming up, adding that users connected nan level are “obsessed pinch Luigi, Trump, and Squid Game.” Some moreover relationship to thatch their caller statement members Chinese.

But galore TikTokers are arsenic funny astir RedNote users successful China, too. “Chinese friends, position pictures of your repast aliases snacks for today! Curious to spot what you typically eat,” 1 personification writes. Another asks, “I’m American. Do y’all for illustration us? We cognize y’all not nan enemy. Can we each beryllium friends?”

The inclination is really benignant of wholesome, and I’m coming for it, but I’m not assured it will really last. If these apps move successful popularity, they could perchance look a ban, too. But nan migration to RedNote is apt conscionable a inclination — and trends only past arsenic agelong arsenic it takes for different to move it.