Coverage dated January 12, 2025 to January 13, 2025

US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming

Headline from KOB 4, on the newest of 2 developments

As the threat of a TikTok ban looms, some U.S. TikTok users are flocking to Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu – making it the top downloaded app in the U.S. The self-described “TikTok refugees” landed on Xiaohongshu as an alternative to TikTok.

KOB 4's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. As TikTok faces potential US ban, China's RedNote tops Apple app store

    Headline from NBC New York ·

  2. Newest

    US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming

    Headline from KOB 4 ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

30 articles, oldest first.

  1. NBC New York

    As TikTok faces potential US ban, China's RedNote tops Apple app store (opens NBC New York)

    Published

    NBC New York's feed description

    Chinese social media app RedNote is at the top of Apple's app store, underscoring concerns that TikTok will soon be effectively banned in the U.S.

  2. Gizmodo

    TikTok Users Are Flocking to Another Chinese Social Media App as U.S. Ban Looms (opens Gizmodo)

    Published

    Gizmodo's feed description

    Congress is going to have to play whack-a-mole.

  3. Insider

    As a potential TikTok ban looms, 2 other Chinese social apps are surging in popularity (opens Insider)

    Published

    Insider's feed description

    Chinese apps Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 rose into the top spots on the Apple app store as TikTok faces a potential ban.

  4. New York Post

    What is RedNote — the Chinese- owned TikTok alternative that’s trending in the App Store as ban looms (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    Tens of millions of American users of TikTok who are girding for a ban of the app are migrating en masse to another Chinese-owned platform.

  5. KOB 4

    US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming (opens KOB 4)

    Published

    KOB 4's feed description

    As the threat of a TikTok ban looms, some U.S. TikTok users are flocking to Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu – making it the top downloaded app in the U.S. The self-described “TikTok refugees” landed on Xiaohongshu as an alternative to TikTok.

  6. Newsweek

    Full list of Chinese-owned social media apps trending as TikTok ban looms (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Chinese-owned apps like Lemon8 and RedNote have started trending as TikTok faces a U.S. ban on January 19.

  7. Deadline

    Chinese Social Media Apps Xiaohongshu & Lemon8 See Surge In Downloads Ahead Of U.S. TikTok Ban (opens Deadline)

    Published

    Deadline's feed description

    Chinese social apps Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 have soared to the top two spots on Apple's iPhone charts ahead of the U.S.'s impending TikTok ban.

  8. Honolulu Star-Advertiser

    Over half a million ‘TikTok refugees’ flock to China’s RedNote | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (opens Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

    Published

    Honolulu Star-Advertiser's feed description

    New users have piled in to Chinese social media app RedNote just days before a proposed U.S. ban on the popular social media app TikTok, as the lesser-known company rushes to capitalize on the sudden influx while walking a delicate line of moderating English-language content, sources told Reuters.

  9. Triblive

    U.S. TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming (opens Triblive)

    Published

    Triblive's feed description

    HONG KONG — As the threat of a TikTok ban looms, U.S. TikTok users are flocking to the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu — making it the top downloaded app in the U.S. Some of the “TikTok refugees,” as they call themselves, say the TikTok alternative, a Chinese app, is

  10. Digital Journal

    'Take my data': US 'TikTok refugees' flock to alternative Chinese app (opens Digital Journal)

    Published

    Digital Journal's feed description

    Furious at the prospect of a US government ban on social media platform TikTok, American users have flocked to another Chinese-owned app in droves, many

  11. Polygon

    Why TikTok users are flocking to Chinese social media apps RedNote and Lemon8 (opens Polygon)

    Published

    Polygon's feed description

    The Supreme Court is deciding whether a law that will force a TikTok ban unless ByteDance sells the app is constitutional.

  12. The Boston Globe

    TikTok could soon be banned. Here are alternative apps, from Lemon8 to RedNote. (opens The Boston Globe)

    Published

    The Boston Globe's feed description

    On Friday, the Supreme Court appeared likely to clear the way for a federal law that would shut down TikTok in the United States unless the popular video-sharing platform divests from Chinese ownership.

  13. Fox10 Phoenix

    Rednote, Lemon8: What to know about the possible alternatives to TikTok (opens Fox10 Phoenix)

    Published

    Fox10 Phoenix's feed description

    With a potential TikTok ban looming, social media users are turning to platforms like Rednote and Lemon8 to create and enjoy content.

  14. Time

    Why TikTok Creators Are Moving to Red Note (opens Time)

    Published

    Time's feed description

    With the TikTok ban looming, many Americans are migrating to another Chinese app: Xiaohongshu, or Red Note, out of both curiousity and spite.

  15. New York Times

    Why TikTok Users Are Downloading ‘Red Note,’ the Chinese App (opens New York Times)

    Published

    New York Times's feed description

    To show how little they care about TikTok’s ties to Beijing, people in the United States are downloading one of China’s most popular apps.

  16. Variety

    With TikTok U.S. Ban Looming, Users Flock to Red Note — Another Chinese-Owned App (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    With a TikTok U.S. ban looming, American users are downloading an alternative: Chinese-owned social app Xiaohongshu, aka "Red Note."

  17. NBC Chicago

    What is RedNote? Users turn to Chinese app ahead of approaching TikTok ban (opens NBC Chicago)

    Published

    NBC Chicago's feed description

    Ahead of a looming U.S. ban on TikTok, content creators have been flocking to RedNote as well as Lemon8, TikTok's sister app.

  18. Green Field Reporter

    US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming - The Daily Reporter (opens Green Field Reporter)

    Published

    Green Field Reporter's feed description

    HONG KONG (AP) — As the threat of a TikTok ban looms, U.S. TikTok users are flocking to the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu – making it the top downloaded app in the U.S. Some of the “TikTok refugees,” as they call themselves, say the TikTok alternative, a Chinese app, is being chosen in protes…

  19. CNET

    Why TikTok Users Are Downloading Red Note and Lemon8 (opens CNET)

    Published

    CNET's feed description

    Some TikTok users are trying out other Chinese-owned apps as a form of protest against a potential US ban.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.