TikTok Getting Banned? A Guide to Similar Apps RedNote & Lemon8

When the ban happens, TikTok will be removed from app stores, so if you don't already have it downloaded before Jan. 19, you will not be able to do so. The app's parent company ByteDance will also no longer be able to offer updates to the app, meaning that eventually the app will be unusable.

However, there is currently a proposal in the U.S. Senate by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey called the "Extend the TikTok Deadline Act," which would give ByteDance an additional 270 days to sell the app, therefore delaying the ban, according to CBS News. Markey has been a proponent of the app, and recently submitted a bipartisan brief to repeal the ban entirely, noting that Congress' reasons for the ban lack evidence and violate first amendment rights. At this time, it remains to be seen if Markey's legislation will be accepted.

What other apps are like TikTok?

When it comes to apps that are similar to TikTok, social media users believe the top three contenders are: Meta's Instagram (which offers Reels), RedNote and Lemon8. Instagram has been pushing Reels as a direct competitor to TikTok over the past few years with its short videos.

RedNote is not a one-to-one TikTok clone, but does offer short-form video.

Lemon8 is another option; however, it has more in common with Pinterest and, because it is also owned by ByteDance, could face similar issues to TikTok.

Some TikTok users have even suggested going back to Tumblr, which saw the height of its popularity in the mid-2010s.

What is RedNote?

RedNote is a Chinese app that many call "China's TikTok." Known as Xiaohongshu ("Little Red Book") in China, the app is owned by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology.

RedNote has similar offerings to TikTok, including short-form videos, community building, shopping and more. However, unlike TikTok, videos won't start playing as soon as you open the app, and instead requires users to log in. But much like TikTok, it does serve content that it believes each specific user will enjoy, helping to curate a similar For You Page experience.

The app—which first launched in 2013—is also in Mandarin, but has become noticeably more accessible for American users as its popularity has grown over the past week, with many in the U.S. downloading the app as a form of protest against the TikTok ban.

Many comedy videos have appeared on RedNote welcoming "TikTok refugees," with others joking that users leaving TikTok were coming to RedNote and reuniting with their "TikTok Chinese spy."

It is unclear if RedNote will be banned in the future, as it is also owned by a Chinese company.

What is Lemon8?

Lemon8—which first debuted in Japan in 2020 under the name Sharee—is an app similar to TikTok and also owned by ByteDance.

The app was released in the United States in 2023 with several features that are comparable to TikTok, including curated videos, photo uploads and carousels—although its user interface is more in line with Pinterest.

TikTok users can use their same login information for Lemon8 and even follow all of the same creators on both platforms. Lemon8 then asks users to share their interests, which help the platform's algorithm serve content that is specific to each user.

ByteDance has been pushing TikTok users to download the app in the wake of the ban, but Lemon8 could also be banned in the future because it is owned by the same Chinese company.