US Users Flock to Chinese Social Media Apps Amid Looming TikTok Ban
Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 see record downloads as TikTok faces shutdown
As the United States moves closer to banning TikTok, American users are rapidly migrating to Chinese social media platforms Xiaohongshu and Lemon8. With TikTok racing to secure a U.S. buyer before the January 19 deadline, downloads of these alternative apps have surged.
Xiaohongshu, backed by Alibaba and known for its lifestyle content, and Lemon8 have topped Apple’s iPhone download charts in the U.S. Lemon8’s downloads reportedly tripled within a week, according to Sensor Tower data. The hashtag #tiktokrefugee has gained over 25 million views on Xiaohongshu as more users share content and tutorials on switching platforms.
Influencers like Nuha, with 1.5 million TikTok followers, have already joined Xiaohongshu, guiding their audiences to migrate. TikTok plans to shut down U.S. access on January 19 unless the Supreme Court intervenes, raising the stakes for users and content creators alike.
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Xiaohongshu, backed by Alibaba and known for its lifestyle content, and Lemon8 have topped Apple’s iPhone download charts in the U.S. Lemon8’s downloads reportedly tripled within a week, according to Sensor Tower data. The hashtag #tiktokrefugee has gained over 25 million views on Xiaohongshu as more users share content and tutorials on switching platforms.
Influencers like Nuha, with 1.5 million TikTok followers, have already joined Xiaohongshu, guiding their audiences to migrate. TikTok plans to shut down U.S. access on January 19 unless the Supreme Court intervenes, raising the stakes for users and content creators alike.
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