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Why TikTok “refugees” are flocking to Xiaohongshu
This decision is partly UX, partly political in the wake of the proposed TikTok ban.
My For You Page is filled with frustrated rants, tearful goodbyes to TikTok, and now guides to basic Chinese phrases. The latter comes from the apparent exodus of TikTok users, in preparation of the platform’s ban on January 19th, to the Chinese app Xiaohongshu or “Red Note.”
As of the time of this writing, the top app in the App Store is Xiaohongshu.
Why has Xiaohongshu, a platform previously totally unknown to many US users, risen up as an alternative to TikTok? Why hasn’t Instagram or X or Facebook or YouTube Shorts become the TikTok alternative of choice?
Part of the reason has to do with user experience, and part of it has to do with politics and trust. Trust, as I have argued before, is a powerful part of building and maintaining relationships with users.
Why aren’t current TikTok users considering US social media giants?
TikTok rose as the star of social media despite the power and influence of Meta’s offerings. This is due, partially, to TikTok’s enviable, Gen Z user base. 62% of TikTok’s 1.5 billion users are between 18–29 years old.
Facebook’s 3 billion active monthly users skew older than other apps, with approximately 50% being between the ages of 25–44. Facebook is the platform of choice for users that are connecting with people they know offline, like family members and co-workers. An account is typically someone’s real, government name rather than a made up username.
Instagram, also owned by Meta, is more welcoming to anonymous accounts. Users are younger, 31% are between the ages of 18–24. Over the past few years, the platform has made efforts to emulate TikTok via Instagram Reels, a choice that proved controversial with users that felt like the original experience of the app was being lost.
Given this attempt to cater to TikTok users, shouldn’t Instagram be the platform of…
