What is RedNote?
The app that could replace TikTok in the US
January 14th, 2025
Only a few days remain until the complete ban of TikTok in the United States, while the Supreme Court is still reviewing the arguments that will determine its fate. Despite the pressure, ByteDance is unwilling to sell the app, and American netizens are rushing to find an alternative. Although YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels were the natural candidates, the surprise contender is Xiao Hong Shu (or Red, known as RedNote on Google Play), which has climbed to the top of free apps on iOS and attracted the so-called "TikTok refugees". In China, Red is considered a mix of Instagram and Pinterest: over 300 million monthly users rely on it for inspiration for outfits, recipes, and travel. Founded in 2013 by Miranda Qu and Charlwin Mao, the company is valued at $17 billion following its July 2024 funding round, with 140,000 brands already active. It is the number one platform for influencer marketing in China, surpassing Weibo, Douyin, and WeChat. However, its Chinese identity reignites the debate on data privacy, potentially undermining Washington's efforts to distance its citizens from the Beijing government.
Much of Red's interface is still in Mandarin, which could disorient new international users. However, some creators confirm that, once the algorithm is "trained," English content starts to appear. Despite comparisons to TikTok, the app more closely resembles Pinterest: the focus remains on photos and editorial content, though it also offers a vertical video feed section. Luxury brands are already well-versed: Louis Vuitton, for instance, surpassed 470,000 unique viewers during a live broadcast in 2024, integrating e-commerce functionalities for pre-ordering items, as reported by Vogue Business. Meanwhile, Lemon8 (also by ByteDance) is the second most downloaded app on iOS, but it may face the same restrictions as TikTok since it too belongs to the Chinese parent company. There’s also Neptune, a US-based platform still in beta, promising creator-friendly algorithms and monetization opportunities.
Elon owning buy Twitter AND tik tok would actually be worse than anything China could do. media in the US would never be the same again
— 1800s forehead (@dom__dotty) January 14, 2025
This morning, Bloomberg reignited rumors of a possible acquisition of TikTok by Elon Musk: an operation that would position him directly against Mark Zuckerberg in the Western social media market. However, many users fear that TikTok could be "ruined" like Twitter after Musk's acquisition. At the same time, newly elected President Donald Trump has expressed a willingness to delay the ban to pursue a "political solution" that is less hostile toward Chinese apps than the outgoing administration. While awaiting legal developments and potential twists, creators are questioning how to safeguard their earnings and communities. Some are betting on Red, others on Neptune, and still, others hope that TikTok, at least outside the United States, will continue to exist and attract users. Amid uncertainties and experimentation, the real question remains whether the Western audience will be willing to train a new algorithm from scratch — and whether, in the meantime, another platform will steal the spotlight, as TikTok’s zeitgeist emerged in 2019 after the app's rebranding from Musical.ly.