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What's 'Rednote' And Why Are So Many Americans Joining It? 'TikTok Refugees' On Xiaohongshu Explained
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to deliver its final verdict on whether TikTok gets banned once and for all in the United States, and TikTokers are already making preparations for where to go next.
Enter Rednote, also known as Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social networking app often described as Instagram, Pinterest and Amazon rolled into one.
American TikTok users are downloading and signing up for the app in droves to the point where it already shot up to the number one most downloaded app on Apple's U.S. App Store over this past weekend. Some of Rednote's Chinese user base seems to be embracing the American invasion with open arms, with users from both countries instantly clicking to exchange jokes and memes.
The Chinese already have a nickname for Americans on the app – "TikTok Refugees" – but what is Rednote exactly and why are so many people signing up for it?
Here's what you need to know while you wait for your Rednote verification code.
What Is Rednote or Xiaohongshu?
Rednote is a Chinese photo- and video-sharing application and social media platform many people often liken to Instagram, which, much like almost any other American platform, has been blocked in China since 2014.
The app was founded in 2013 under the name Xiaohongshu as an e-commerce review site, gathering a large user base of predominantly young, urban and wealthy Chinese women over the next 10 years.
The key features of Xiaohongshu and Rednote are user-generated content, e-commerce integration and influencer marketing. Rednote users are encouraged to give each other recommendations on products, dining, travel and lifestyle, with some users making a career out of testing and selling products on the site.
But the app is also known for hosting lighthearted and non-commercial content, as seen in trends like White People Food and memes like You Swan, He Frog.
What Are 'TikTok Refugees' And Why Are They Joining Rednote?
The U.S. government might finally make good on its long-awaited ban on TikTok on January 19th, 2025, which is when the U.S. Supreme Court is set to issue its ruling, but TikTokers were not ready to wait and see what the government had in store for them as they began making preparations for the mass exodus on January 13th.
While it's unclear why TikTokers chose Rednote as the app to migrate to, videos and images of Americans kicking up dirt over on the Chinese social media site soon began to proliferate on TikTok.
For example, on January 13th, TikToker @astralxbeauty posted a video of a Rednote user asking an American for help with their English grammar homework.
Meanwhile, jokes about Americans being reunited with the TikTok-assigned "Chinese Spy" began making the rounds, with some Rednote users jokingly asking people to hand over their data or photos of their pets.
The two communities also shared memes and jokes, with an American user named "YN Xiao Xiao" posting a photo of an overweight white man with the caption, "Ni Hao fine shyts," and a Chinese user warning the "TikTok Refugees" that their saved posts are not as private as they think.
More internet users posted the scenes unfolding on Xiaohongshu, with X user @susanbutworse posting a video of a Chinese cowboy welcoming American users in a Southern accent, writing, "incredible things happening on xiaohongshu," and gathering over 5,000 likes.
It's unclear how long the "TikTok Refugees" will be able to keep up the momentum on their Rednote posting or if the app will ultimately face a similar fate to TikTok, but it's safe to say that this is the first time in recent history that American and Chinese audiences are occupying the same broadband space in large numbers.
For the full history of Rednote / Xiaohongshu and TikTok Refugees, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entries here and here for more information.