Seven TikTok alternatives users are flocking to as US app ban looms – from RedNote and Lemon8 to Clapper
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TIKTOK is poised to shut down its app for 170million US users on Sunday, according to reports, after a long battle with lawmakers. And the news has American users flocking to rival apps. Chinese-owned app RedNote has seen a huge migration of US social media users in recent months.
![[Photo illustration of a phone screen showing a woman making a video on the Xiaohongshu app.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-jinan-shandong-province-china-963908143_1ef79b.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Likewise, Lemon8 – a sort of 'everything app' for social media users, owned by ByteDance, the same parent company as TikTok. But there are other alternatives. Instagram users will be familiar with the app's Reels function, which lets people create and flick through short videos.
![[Illustration of a person using a phone in front of a large Instagram logo.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/photo-illustration-logo-instagram-displayed-933678077.jpg?strip=all&w=960){kind=logo}
It was introduced in August 2020, as TikTok was surfing its pandemic-induced boom in popularity. Reels will be a popular alternative, with most TikTok users and creators already having a presence on Instagram. Many influencers already had a rhythm of posting their TikToks to Instagram Reels, long before talk of the ban surfaced.
![[A hand holding a smartphone displaying the Lemon8 app.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2023-political-scrutiny-continues-intensify-963908133_317876.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
RedNote, a Chinese-language social media app which is now available in English, seems to be the unspoken replacement of TikTok. The app, called Xiaohongshu in Chinese, works in a similar way to TikTok in that users are able to post short-form videos and live-stream to other people.
![[Xiaohongshu app screen on a smartphone.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/300-million-monthly-active-users-963908140_64ce15.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
More than half a million so-called 'TikTok refugees' have already flocked to the platform. It features similar content to what can be found on TikTok, such as product reviews, comedy, and influencer content. Until now, its user base has been almost exclusively based in China.
![[Smartphone displaying the Clapper app.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2021-new-platform-called-clapper-963908320_afe33e.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
