What Is “Rednote”? How Are “TikTok Refugees” Navigating China’s Social Network?

Over the past few days, many users, just like me, have opened Rednote only to be completely bewildered—foreign faces are taking over their feed. For a moment, I thought I had accidentally clicked on the wrong app, but after double-checking, it was indeed Rednote.
A Surge of Traffic Descends Upon Rednote.

“The overwhelming traffic” fell on Rednote

This group of foreigners refers to themselves as “TikTok Refugees,” primarily American users migrating from TikTok. They have started sharing their lives, making friends, and posting content on Rednote, with views often reaching thousands or even tens of thousands. Some have even begun helping Chinese students with English reading comprehension.

Almost overnight, phrases like “Rednote is flooded with English posts by American IPs” and “three foreigners per screen” became hardly an exaggeration. The Rednote hashtag #TikTokRefugee has already garnered close to 2.4 million discussions, over 94.6 million comments, and more than 100 million views.

This unprecedented mix of Chinese and English posts has created a vibrant, chaotic, yet harmonious atmosphere on this globalized social app, which has managed to foster coexistence amidst an era of de-globalization. The surge of traffic from American users has propelled Rednote into the spotlight, even pushing it to the top of the U.S. App Store’s free apps ranking.

American Creators: Posting Cats, Homework Help, and Learning Chinese

Among these American users are seasoned content creators well-versed in TikTok’s algorithm. Using translation software or ChatGPT, they started posting in imperfect yet sincere Chinese to make friends with local users, seeking likes and followers.

Charlotte Silverstein, a 32-year-old PR professional in Los Angeles, stumbled upon videos about migrating to Rednote on TikTok and decided to download the app despite not understanding it. She has since posted three notes, saying, “Everyone is super warm and friendly,” and “I love the sense of community here.”

Another new user uploaded a video saying, “I feel really nervous using this app, but we’re all in this together, so I’m actually really excited!” She added, “I’m heartbroken TikTok might actually shut down, but if you want to hang out here, welcome to my page!” Within a day, her video had over 3,000 comments, 6,000 likes, and her followers shot up to 24,000.

Soon enough, clever users discovered that posting their pets garnered even more attention. “Post a cat, and likes break a thousand; no cat, no exposure.” Cyber refugees quickly declared their cats to be “taxpayers” for their new online refuge, sparking the “cat tax” meme.

Those without cats didn’t miss out either. “No cats? Post your dog. No dog? Post your squirrel. No squirrel? Post your donkey.” As long as it moved, it was uploaded.

However, Rednote didn’t turn into a zoo. Creators quickly entered a “2.0 phase,” interacting more deeply with Chinese users. Students began asking for help with English homework, posting reading comprehension passages in the comments. American creators good-naturedly answered from start to finish, leaving us marveling at how lucky this generation of students is.

Some “foreign adults,” unwilling to be outdone, started posting their math homework, giving Chinese users a chance to showcase the strength of their education system. This playful exchange turned into another bridge of cross-cultural communication.

Chinese and American Netizens Exchange Memes Amidst Cultural Interaction

Aside from “Westerners’ Homework Help,” Chinese and American users began exchanging memes and jokes. People eagerly shared their treasured memes in the comment sections, engaging in a playful “change change” meme swap.

As the jokes grew deeper and broader, the trend quickly entered what could be called a “Community 3.0” phase, characterized by practical assistance. Some content creators seized the opportunity to release guides on using Chinese social media platforms or teach foreigners how to navigate apps like Rednote. English teachers also jumped on the trend, hosting late-night livestreams. Currently, numerous English chatroom livestreams titled “English Corner” or “TikTok Refugee Club” are active on Rednote, while many domestic users have switched their posts to bilingual formats.

From Frustration to Fun: American Users Discover New Joy

The trend continued until the next day, when the American media could no longer sit still. CNN asked, “Why is Xiaohongshu Everywhere?”

The Washington Post: “‘TikTok Refugees’ Flock to Another (Heavily Censored) Chinese App”

Associated Press: “US TikTok Users Flock to Chinese App Rednote in Protest With TikTok Ban Looming”

The New York Times: “‘Red Note,’ a Chinese App, Is Dominating Downloads, Thanks to TikTok Users”

These mainstream outlets broadly reported on the TikTok user migration but struggled to grasp the cultural nuances of Rednote, only providing a surface-level overview of the app.

Rednote’s “New Challenges”

Many users have pointed out Rednote’s urgent need for a built-in translation feature, as moderating English content presents new challenges. Coincidentally, earlier this month, Rednote revamped its video interface, relocating the like, save, and comment buttons to a vertical layout on the right side, mirroring TikTok’s design—an update that unexpectedly catered to TikTok users’ habits.

However, some overseas users have found their posts blocked due to non-compliance with Rednote’s content guidelines. While the app appears harmonious internally, negative reviews criticizing its moderation system are flooding the App Store. These overseas contributions have inadvertently increased Rednote’s moderation and management burden.

Facing an influx of new traffic, Rednote must address significant challenges: bridging cultural gaps, managing content diversity, and maintaining user engagement beyond the initial novelty.