The U.S. government claims TikTok will be banned on Jan 19th (The latest update on Jan 20th: Several hours after banning, “TikTok is back”, president-elect Donald Trump cheered). Many U.S. users banter themselves as “TikTok Refugees” and seek alternatives to TikTok.
One of the trending apps that U.S. users choose is Rednote. So far, a swarm of American users from TikTok has landed Rednote and established their community “brick by brick”.
TikTok’s ban would possibly be a legal fact for American users. Flocking to another platform seems a helpless move. This article mainly introduces several trending TikTok alternatives to you, especially, telling you how to use Rednote in detail.
Background Information: TikTok Banning
Where will TikTok in the U.S. go? The Supreme Court holds its fate. In terms of the current situation, it is more likely than ever that the TikTok ban will go into effect starting on Jan 19th.
(Update: The latest statement on Jan 20th from president-elect Trump claims that there is no liability for any companies to operate TikTok-related business.) However, the following methods and alternatives are also worth considering.
Some Americans have tried to use a VPN to access TikTok in other countries at once. Some say it works. Popular VPN services like LightningX VPN provide servers close to America, for example, Canada servers and Mexico servers, where TikTok can be accessible.
Except for TikTok-available servers, LightningX VPN also provides privacy protection using the encryption algorithm AES-256-GCM. Now, you can use LightningX VPN to test whether TikTok in your phone works in other areas.
However, another question may arise. People have noted that once the U.S. government removed TikTok from the Apple App Store and Google Store, TikTok ceased to update in the U.S. That will come with a series of issues.
In that case, many American TikTok users are disappointed at this TikTok ban law and are looking for TikTok alternatives hustle and bustle.
Something dramatic happened overnight. Rednote (social platform based in China) has been ranked #1 among the alternative lists in the App Store.
TikTok Alternatives: Social Platforms You Can Try After TikTok Banning
1. Rednote (Xiaohongshu): Popular Choice for the U.S. Users Currently
Rednote is also known as Xiaohongshu in Chinese Pinyin and Little Red Book (English translation). At the very first, it was allegedly designed for Chinese students studying abroad. They can share life experiences abroad.
There is no geo-restriction on Rednote. Therefore, an increasing number of users gather into Rednote. It is one of the most popular apps in China, mixed with Chinese users and international users.
Introduced by the TikTok influencers, a mass of U.S. users get started with Rednote. Nevertheless, there are still some users confused with the operations. The following steps tell you how to use Rednote.
Step 1. Download Rednote on the App Store
You can download Rednote on the Apple App Store or Google Store. Rednote supports Android, iPhone, and iPad.
Step 2. Create a Rednote Account and Login
- Open Rednote on your phone.
- Choose “Login with mobile number”.
- Remember to change the international area code (otherwise you may not receive the verification code). Because Xiaohongshu is a Chinese social platform, the default is the China international area code (+86).
- If you are a US user, the international area code is +1.
- Click “Agree & Continue” to go on.
Step 3. Change Language
Before enjoying the content, you’d better change Chinese into English.
- Click the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner.
- Choose “设置(Settings in Chinese) ” in the lower right corner. There is a gear icon.
- Select the second “通用设置(General Settings in Chinese)”, in the “显示(Display in Chinse)” section, and choose “多语言(Multi-language in Chinese)”, tap on “English”. Done.
Step 4. Be Familiar with the Content Features
Rednote contents have two forms: posts with pictures and videos.
Post with Pictures: You can share this post, like, collect this post, and express your comments.
Videos: Most videos on Xiaohongshu are in vertical mode, just like TikTok.
You can keep scrolling and liking those posts and videos you are interested in. The Rednote algorithm will recommend what you like so you can build FYP (For your Page). Thing goes better.
Warm tips:
- Rednote is a Chinese-culture-centered social platform. Express comments in a polite manner.
- Respect their culture and China’s policy.
- You may receive likes or comments if you use Mandarin.
- Don’t post or comment on any sensitive content like politics (such as China Taiwan, China Macao, and China Hong Kong), pornography, or drugs. Or your account may get restricted.
- Most Rednote users are friendly. If you get scammed or any harmful content, report it immediately.
2. Lemon8 – Similar to TikTok
Lemon8 is a social media application, launched in May 2020. Its theme color is lemon yellow, and it focuses on sharing lifestyle content such as beauty, fashion, food, travel, etc.
Lemon8 is also similar to Rednote, where users can share and explore content in various lifestyle fields.
You can enjoy a variety of features on Lemon8. Here are some of the key features.
- Varied content: Users can create themed photos, videos, and text posts.
- Short videos: Similar to TikTok, Lemon8 supports short video content. It’s easy for users to create and share engaging videos.
- Photo sharing: If you like to share life photos, you can easily edit and share your photos on Lemon8.
- Interesting tools: Lemon8 officially updates a suite of creative tools including templates, stickers, filters, and fonts to help users create visually appealing posts.
- Personalized recommendation: Lemon8 like TikTok, applies advanced algorithms to recommend user-possibly-like content to users.
Concerns: Lemon8 may suffer a similar fate with TikTok.
3. Clapper
Clapper is a rapidly growing social media platform, designed to foster real-life connections and communities among young users.
You can post short videos, go live streaming, and participate in audio-only “Radio” rooms.
There is a unique feature, “Clapback”. You can express your ideas and opinions to creators. Also, you can view others’ comments with support or opposition.
Clapper is suitable for mature audiences. With more interesting people, you can altogether create a genuine and meaningful community for each other.
4. Bluesky
Bluesky is an idea-communication social platform, whose icon is a beautiful blue butterfly. It is a little like Twitter. However, users have more control over what they share, for example, short text messages, images, and videos.
On Bluesky, the algorithm is closer to users. As a user, you can choose or create your own algorithmic feeds. In “Starter packs”, you can quickly select accounts within a community to follow. It is suitable for users who enjoy training the personalized algorithm instead of the mechanical algorithm.
5. Fanbase
Also, like other social platforms, Fanbase aims to connect creators with their fans and communities. You can share diverse content like photos, videos, live streams, and test posts.
For creators, you can bloom your wonderful ideas to your fans. Even, you can gain financial awards from your creative content through subscription tiers, tips, and other revenue streams.
Fanbase provides more tools for fan engagement, for instance, polls, Q&A sessions, and direct messaging. This can help improve the creator’s support and fan building.
Other TikTok Alternatives You Can Try
- YouTube short
- Instagram reels
- Discord
- Threads
FAQs – TikTok Alternatives (Xiaohongshu)
Q1. Can Americans Use Xiaohongshu, Especially It’s a China-Based Social Platform?
Yes, you can use Rednote, also Xiaohongshu. Rednote has no limitation for foreigners to log in so far. Many American users have successfully created a Rednote account and enjoy the wonderful content.
Q2. Does Rednote Have an English Version?
Yes. Rednote supports English as an operation language. You can change the language settings on the left menu column.
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