Manimatana Lee spent the last five years creating one of the most popular products on the internet: a group of people who reliably watch your videos on TikTok.
She built an audience of nearly 10,000 followers with videos of her vacuuming her Wisconsin home while her youngest daughter napped in a baby carrier on her back. A video of Lee dancing and washing dishes (while carrying her sleeping baby) has been viewed more than a million times since November.
Now, with the Supreme Court soon to rule in a case that could determine whether TikTok could be banned in the United States on national security grounds, Ms. Lee and other Americans looking for alternatives are downloading Xiaohongshu, a social media app that is popular in China and little known outside the country.
“How fun would it be if they banned TikTok and we all switched to this Chinese app,” Ms. Lee wrote on TikTok on Monday, encouraging her followers to join her.
Xiaohongshu was the most downloaded free app in the US Apple Store on Tuesday. More than 300 million people, mainly in China, use the app, where they share short videos and text-based still posts. The people who turned out in droves said, in interviews and on the app, that they wanted to show that they do not share Washington's concerns about TikTok's ties to China.
TikTok, which is available in more than 150 countries but not China, is owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance. American creators who post videos on TikTok say the app has been a source of connection, entertainment and information since it became a sensation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Its secret ingredient is its proprietary algorithm, a technology that recommends a constant stream of short videos aimed at keeping people scrolling.
But lawmakers in the United States and other countries have warned that the Chinese government could use TikTok to access data about its users, such as location and browsing history. Officials in Washington say they are also concerned that China could use TikTok to spread false information among the 170 million people who use it in the United States.
Xiaohongshu means “little red book” in Mandarin. Americans new to the app said they were not put off by the reference to a book of Mao Zedong sayings. Many call the app “Red Note.”
“I really don't care at all if I'm using a Chinese app,” Ms. Lee said. “It's like a place to escape from reality. And if it makes me feel good, I'm here for it.”
A group of American creators have sued the government over legislation that could cause the TikTok app to be forcibly sold or banned in the United States, and TikTok is paying their legal fees. Ms. Lee and another creator said in interviews that neither company had encouraged their interest in Xiaohongshu. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.
Americans in Xiaohongshu have demonstrated under the hashtag “TikTokrefugee,” which had been viewed 100 million times and sparked about 2.5 million discussion threads on the app as of Tuesday.
Joining the app has put American users in closer contact with people online in China than ever before on TikTok. In China, people use Douyin, a very similar app that ByteDance used to develop the technology that made TikTok a global success. Douyin is difficult to access outside of China.
Many tips shared on how to navigate the app, which is primarily designed and used by people who read and speak Mandarin. Some took screenshots and asked ChatGPT to translate the posts, they said.
Xiaohongshu shows the city or province for Chinese users posting and commenting, and the country for users outside China. “We go to the Chinese spies and beg them to let us stay here,” said one American user. “Approved, welcome to Red Note,” someone in Shanghai responded.
As of late December, 85 percent of Xiaohongshu's traffic came from China, according to Similarweb, a data provider and website traffic tracker. The app is especially popular among women in their 20s and 30s, and its long comment threads have become a popular source of information for people to exchange questions about everyday concerns, similar to Reddit.
Xiaohongshu did not respond to requests for comment.
On Tuesday, more than 100,000 people joined a live group chat hosted by a user called “TikTok Refugee Club,” where people from around the world chatted with Chinese users about urban safety. In another group chat, which had been viewed more than 30,000 times, participants discussed censorship and shared tips in the comments on how to avoid being banned from the platform for mentioning politically sensitive topics.
In another video posted by someone who said they were usually on TikTok, a user in China responded with a meme of a cat with its paws spread. “I'm your Chinese spy,” the comment read, “give me all your details.”
