RedNote operates on a similar principle to TikTok: users scroll through a feed of short videos tailored to their interests. Although the app’s interface is mainly in Chinese, tutorial videos on how to change the language to English have already appeared on TikTok. This has helped draw attention to the new app. Moreover, videos welcoming so-called “TikTok refugees” are actively being published on RedNote.
Despite RedNote being a new name for many users, the app has existed in China for over ten years. It is considered a competitor to ByteDance’s Douyin and the e-commerce giant Alibaba, with an audience of about 300 million people.
Not only RedNote is benefiting from the potential ban on TikTok. Other apps, such as Lemon8, created by ByteDance, and Flip from the American company Humans, Inc., have also gained popularity. Flip, which combines social features and online shopping, ranked 4th in the App Store.
Another alternative, ReelShort, is trying to attract users by offering short video clips with plots reminiscent of mini-movies. Although this format differs from the usual TikTok, ReelShort already ranks 7th in the App Store and 2nd in Google Play.
