Xiaohongshu, also known as RED or Little Red Book, is an e-commerce and community-driven app based in China, a sort of Instagram-meets-Pinterest social media platform. Photo: ShutterstockA commonly used app in China and Hong Kong, Xiaohonshu – which translates to “little red book” in English – welcomed troves of new American arrivals on Monday.
TikTok users began to flee the ByteDance-owned social platform ahead of a crucial Supreme Court decision on its future.
While the exact number of downloads is unknown, the Apple store put Xiaohongshu as the No 1 free-to-use social media platform across all free iPhone apps in the United States.
The self-styled “TikTok refugee” exodus comes as concerns grow over the app’s fate in the wake of last week’s Supreme Court oral arguments, in which the justices seemed to lean towards “national security over free speech”.
Many of TikTok’s American users began anticipating its potential ban, fearing that the app’s Chinese ownership would become a critical point in the court’s decision.
How TikTok rose in popularity – and its potential ban
US influencer Nuha – who has more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok and about 135,000 on Instagram – is among those signing up for Xiaohongshu’s blend of e-commerce and user-generated content.
“Hi guys, TikTok refugee here. I am so nervous to be on this app, but I also find it to be really exciting and thrilling that we are all doing this,” said Nuha in her first video posted to Xiaohongshu on Sunday.
Nuha, who posts mainly about pop culture and entertainment news, said she was “sad that TikTok might actually go, but if this is where we’re going to be hanging out, welcome to my page” and added the tag #TikTokRefugee.
The influencer also uploaded a tutorial on TikTok on creating an account on Xiaohongshu, where she has gained about 17,500 followers.
Candacce, a Los Angeles-based TikTok user with more than 450,000 followers, has also signed up for Xiaohongshu, posting that she would “rather stare at a language I can’t understand than ever use a social media [platform] that Mark Zuckerberg owns”.
Shanghai-based Xiaohongshu was launched in 2013 as China’s answer to Instagram, reaching nearly 300 million active users by December 2023, with 50 per cent aged 15 to 28.
Its investors include Tencent, Temasek, GSR Ventures, ZhenFund, HongShan, DST Global and Alibaba – which also owns the South China Morning Post.
The app lets users discover, discuss, and shop for products – a feature that may be attractive for the small businesses that have thrived on TikTok.
Paul Tran – a small skincare brand owner based in Atlanta, Georgia and one of eight co-petitioners with TikTok and ByteDance – shared his experience at a press conference following the oral arguments in the Supreme Court.
“Our story embodies the American dream. My wife and I built Love & Pebble from the ground up using TikTok to share our passion and connect with people, with Americans all over the country – something no other platform has allowed us to do,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chinese users on Xiaohongshu are welcoming American “migrants” from TikTok, leaving welcoming messages in English and Mandarin on their videos.
“I have no idea what anyone on this app is saying, but y’all seem pretty chill. I am gonna download Duolingo and get back to you,” said another US user in a video posted to Xiaohongshu on Monday.
The user, who goes by the name “yonsidelucas” and has more than 250,000 followers on TikTok, tagged the post #TikTokRefugee and picked up a following of more than 1,200 on Xiaohongshu in the first few hours after posting.
“Welcome, American friends to Xiaohongshu,” one Chinese user wrote in English on the platform, while another said that “[you] can learn real local Mandarin here instead of Duolingo”.