In the days leading up to TikTok's ban in the US on Sunday, US users were flooded with renotes of the Chinese app. The app is listed in the US app store under the Chinese name Xiaohongshu and quickly became the No. 1 free app in the US, but after Trump suspended the ban, it was re-noted in the US. its use declined rapidly. By Monday, REDNOOTE had lost more than half of its daily active users in the US after reaching 32.5 million daily actives on the day of the ban.
Rednote's daily active users in the U.S. fell by 54% on Monday, pending enforcement of the ban, according to Digital Market Intelligence Company Simarweb. President Trump has provided TikTok with a 75-day extension of the deadline, allowing TikTok more time to negotiate a deal that will keep it alive in the U.S.
App Intelligence Provider Sensor Tower saw similar trends as the week continued. According to estimates, US mobile daily active users for Renote from January 20th to 22nd decreased by approximately 17% compared to the previous week (January 13th to 19th).
Tiktok users originally joined Rednote en Masse to send messages to both the congressman and Meta. According to one report, which also cites Sensor Tower data, around 700,000 US users flocked to reintroduce within two days as the ban deadline approached. By Thursday, SimserWeb said REDNOOTE had reached 3.4 million daily active users across iOS and Android in the US, an increase of 133.8% over the week.
US users participating in Renote indicate that government fears of a “national security threat” poised by Chinese-owned apps with access to US personal data are not a concern to them. I did. Additionally, they wanted to demonstrate joining another Chinese app rather than return to Instagram to use Reels.
There were several reasons why so many US TikTok users made this decision. Some found the ban hypocritical given that Meta had been profiting from user data for years, many said in their videos, while others said China was I didn't care if I had the data or not.
As the popular Tiktok Sound said, “You're saying the Chinese government has access to all of my personal data, so what they choose to do with that information is to psychologically manipulate me through algorithmic content.” Manipulate and read Smutty Books about fairies.
(The sound references fantasy books beloved by readers in TikTok's sizable “Book Tok” community, such as Sarah J. Maas' “Court of Thorns and Roses” series. Threat.)
When TikTokers engaged in re-notes, amazing cultural exchanges began to occur.
Users asked each other about the cost of living in their area, but Chinese and American users also wanted to know whether the government was accurately characterizing other societies. For example, a US user asked about China's social credit system, while a Chinese user on Rednote asked if it was true that many Americans have to work two jobs to pay their bills. I asked him if he could. The accuracy of American TV movies and shows like “Friends'' was one of the many topics discussed.
However, Rednote's position as the top app in the US was a trend that was unlikely to continue, at least as long as Tiktok is available. For one, Renotes has been localized to Mandarin, prompting many to turn to Duolingo to research the language. Language learning apps say usage in the US has jumped 216%. However, learning a new language can be challenging. Many users may have given up in time.
Additionally, unlike Tiktok, Rednote focuses on the Chinese market. TikTok benefited from being a global app. Something I pointed out when discussing why TikTok itself would no longer be the same if forced to sell by the Supreme Court.
Ahead of the ban, Tiktok's daily active users in the US surged to a record high over the past year as 106.8 million users on iOS and Android engaged with the app on Sunday.