key facts about Xiaohongshu, the Chinese app taking the US by storm

Within the days main as much as a proposed US authorities ban on the social media platform TikTok, American customers have turned to a different Chinese language-owned app, Xiaohongshu.

The US handed a legislation final 12 months forcing the favored video platform’s proprietor ByteDance to both promote it or shut it down by January 19.

With that deadline looming, Xiaohongshu—a lifestyle-focused Instagram-meets-Pinterest various—has been propelled to the highest of the US Apple App Retailer free downloads chart.

The hashtag “tiktokrefugee” had greater than 290 million views as of midday on Wednesday.

Listed here are some key information about Xiaohongshu:

Origin

Xiaohongshu—or RedNote in English—was launched in Shanghai in 2013 by Charlwin Mao and Miranda Qu.

Xiaohongshu interprets actually to Little Pink E book, however shouldn’t be a reference to Chinese language communist chief Mao Zedong’s e-book of quotations.

In an interview with analysis company Shensixing, Xiaohongshu founder Mao stated that he considered his time at Bain & Firm and Stanford Enterprise Faculty as “two main milestones” in his life.

“Their main colour theme is crimson, so we determined to name it ‘Little Pink E book’,” he stated, in keeping with a transcript of the interview.

Till Monday, Xiaohongshu was fashionable primarily amongst Chinese language-speaking customers—nearly all of whom are younger girls in city areas, in keeping with information evaluation platform Qiangua.

In distinction, different Chinese language on-line platforms like Weibo cater to a broader viewers.

In addition to mainland China, Xiaohongshu has gained traction amongst different Chinese language diasporas in Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

It boasted 300 million month-to-month energetic customers on the finish of 2023.

Content material

In contrast to TikTok’s sister app Douyin or the micro-blogging web site Weibo, Xiaohongshu leans closely in direction of apolitical content material resembling way of life, journey, magnificence and meals subjects.

Xiaohongshu’s “Discover” web page is much like TikTok’s “For You” web page—each curated by an algorithm that means content material based mostly on customers’ pursuits and interactions on the platforms.

Additionally it is a web based market much like TikTok Store, the place customers can instantly purchase objects together with clothes, make-up, and equipment.

It’s seen as comparatively much less censored than different platforms: customers might be discovered posting LGBTQ content material and discussing the deserves of ladies remaining single, subjects typically thought of delicate in China.

Xiaohongshu has additionally popularized “da ka”, or “check-in” tourism, the place vacationers plan itineraries round scenic or trending spots particularly to take photographs for social media.

And much like Instagram and TikTok, the platform has additionally grow to be a hub for influencers endorsing sponsored merchandise.

Principally Chinese language

Xiaohongshu’s principal problem to retaining these new US customers is the language barrier, specialists have advised AFP.

The app is generally in Chinese language and has no auto-translation instruments.

The platform additionally focuses overwhelmingly on content material tailor-made to China, whereas most merchandise seem to solely ship throughout the nation.

In public group chats on the platform, new US customers have requested for translations of slang phrases, in addition to key phrases to seek for content material they needed.

Consultants say the inflow of American customers on the app could also be extra of a short-term response than a long-term pattern.

© 2025 AFP