Yahoo News So, what is Rednote, the platform people are moving to from TikTok?
Remember this time last week when everyone was freaking out about TikTok disappearing and switching to a new app called Rednote? Well while TikTok may be back in the U.S., people are still making the switch to Rednote, so what actually is the social media app?
Before we get into the ins and outs of the app, here's a little bit of context first. Back in April 2024 the U.S. Congress passed a bipartisan bill to shut down TikTok in the U.S., unless it found a new owner.
Their argument was the app was "a national-security threat of immense depth and scale" due to its alleged links with China and the fear Americans' data was being shared with the Chinese government.
TikTok didn't get a new owner and so last weekend on 18th January, the app was no longer accessible for those in the U.S.
However, the following day president-elect Donald Trump then said he would give TikTok a 90 day reprieve from the ban. That evening TikTok began working again on Americans' phones with the message: "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned."
In short time TikTok was offline, many users made the leap to a similar app Rednote, and many have stayed on it since TikTok came back. But what actually is Rednote? And can we download it here in the UK? Here's what to know.
What is Rednote?
Rednote, or "Xiaohongshu" which means "Little Red Book" to use it's actual name, is a social media app. It's essentially a mix between TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest. It's not a new app and has been around since 2013 when it launched in China.
It began as more of a shopping guide app but has since evolved and similarly to TikTok its algorithm is based more on your interests as a user rather than your connections on the app.
Rednote is owned by Xingin Information Technology, a different company ByteDance, who run TikTok.
Can you download Rednote in the UK?
Yes! Rednote is available to download for free in both the Apple app store and Google Play.
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