Tech
What is RedNote? The app ‘TikTok Refugees’ set a trend in digital stores
Will you leap at this TikTok alternative?
The deadline for the disappearance of TikTok in the United States is fast approaching. On January 19th, 2025, Google and Apple will have to remove the application from their digital stores to avoid being fined by the US government, after Congress approved sanctions against the platform last December, unless ByteDance, the Chinese company responsible, sells it to a partner in the United States. However, this has prompted the so-called TikTok refugees to find a new application.
RedNote is set to be the next big thing after TikTok
The Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) app is shaping up to be the next app to be used from next week. It is currently the most downloaded social app on Apple’s App Store in the US.
Although designed for Chinese users, RedNote is a dynamic mix of lifestyle content, community-building tools and, of course, short videos like those on TikTok, which have managed to capture the attention of a public looking for an alternative to the app that had its moment of glory during the pandemic. It is worth noting that RedNote is not a “clone” of TikTok, but an application more similar to Instagram, with photos and community reviews and discussions.
Interestingly, however, despite the fact that the app is Chinese in origin - one of the reasons the government has tried to block its use by US citizens - users did not seem to mind the geopolitical consideration and sought out an app that connected them. Another important detail to consider is that much of Xiaohongshu’s content is in Mandarin, so much of the content and tools are lost to American audiences.
Will we have to switch to RedNote? Will Xiaohongshu adapt to globalization? For now, ByteDance still has a few days to decide on the situation with TikTok. For now, it will be an interesting scenario, given that Google and Apple have followed other countries in removing apps from their stores almost immediately.
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