ZDNETChinese social app RedNote [iOS/Android], also known as (Xiaohongshu) in China, has gained immense popularity in the last week as a potential TikTok alternative. It is quickly attracting TikTok users looking for a new platform. The app even hit No. 1 in the Apple App Store this week, with thousands of US users flocking to join, according to data from analytics firm Similarweb.Also: Why TikTok isn't vanishing this weekend What is RedNote? RedNote launched in 2013 as a shopping platform but has since transformed into one of China's most popular social networking platforms. It iscommonly usedfor sharing tips on travel, lifestyle, makeup, and fashion. As noted byReuters, "the site has become a de facto search engine for its 300 million-plus users looking for travel tips, [skincare], and restaurant recommendations."For many US users, the migration to RedNote is a response to the US government's ban on TikTok due to privacy and national security concerns. Before Monday, the app had fewer than 700,000 daily users across both iOS and Android devices in the US. However, an influx of self-proclaimed "TikTok refugees" has caused an uptick of nearly 3 million daily active users, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Show more Screenshot by David Grober/ZDNET What does RedNote mean? Xiaohongshu translates to "Little Red Book." It's a cheeky reference to Mao Zedong, the founding father of Communist (aka, "Red") China. Show more Why is RedNote gaining traction now? RedNote's overnight virality is largely due to American TikTok users, particularly younger people, poking fun at theTikTok banand the US government's reasons for wanting to implement it in the first place. As Wired's Megan Farokhmaneshstates, "It's TikTok users who are having the last laugh.""Users are jokingly addressing love letters, tributes, and thank-yous to fictional Chinese spies... who pose the national security threat the US government aims to thwart," Farokhmanesh writes. Some examples of viral videos include Chinese users teaching Americans how to say TikTok colloquialisms in Mandarin, American TikTok usersdiscovering Chinese EVs, and even Chinese and American userscomparing medicaland grocery store bills. Show more Ryan Broderick/TikTokTikTok has become well known for viral cultural moments and trends, so it's unsurprising that an explosion of viral posts, trending memes, and funny cultural exchanges between American and Chinese users has propelled RedNote into the mainstream. Some have also pointed outthat Black and POC creators contributed to RedNote's rising success by promoting the app to their large followings as a better alternative to US platforms such as Meta-owned Instagram. How does RedNote work? I used thistutorialto learn how to navigate the app because of the language barrier. The tutorial details how to change your settings to English. However, while changing the settings does make it easier to use, there are still limited English translations when viewing other people's posts, mostly Chinese users.Also: How to delete Facebook, Messenger, or InstagramAfter choosing my "interests" and following some "moots" (mutual followers) from TikTok that I knew were making the transition to RedNote, my Explore page began suggesting fashion/style content, cooking videos of Chinese dishes, beauty content, and educational videos of Chinese society, culture, and customs. Surprisingly, I've also been seeing a mix of content from users outside China because I'm following mutuals from TikTok.I noticed that RedNote does have some similarities to TikTok, Instagram's Reels, and YouTube Shorts in the sense that your Explore page will be an amalgamation of short video clips and posts related to your interests and the content you've been viewing and liking. However, RedNote has more curated sections than other apps I've seen. You can view sections dedicated to household products, food, fashion, travel, music, film/TV, skincare, art, emotions, and even "science popularization." I would assume that's because users can create content tied to specific products. Show more Is RedNote a decent TikTok alternative? Well, no.While the hype around RedNote seems huge now, it's most likely just a trend -- not an enduring alternative to TikTok. TikTok is aglobal appwith a global user base, and about 170 million users in the US alone. RedNote has not expanded its platform to foster that same type of popularity.Also:What is Lemon8? Here's why this social app is rising in popularity againRedNote is a closer equivalent to Instagram and Pinterest, whereas TikTok runs on viral moments, trendy and niche cultural discourse, and lifestyle content. Show more Does RedNote have any censorship, security, or privacy concerns? For some US users, the sudden appeal of RedNote is already waning because of Chinese censorship rules. RedNote has begun removing US users' posts "deemed [too] sensitive" for the app, "either politically or otherwise," including posts discussing LGBTQ topics, CNNreported.Also:'How to quit Facebook?' searches spike after Meta's fact-checking banPrivacy advocates are also warning against using RedNote. In an emailed statement toThe Verge, Cooper Quintin, the senior staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, explained that "Anyone for whom privacy is a matter of personal safety should think twice before downloading RedNote," adding that the EFF has similar concerns about US-based apps like Facebook.According to RedNote'sprivacy policy, the app collects a large amount of data, including users' location via their IP address, browsing activity, call logs, and more. Also, RedNote's terms and conditions are in Mandarin, and many new users have had trouble translating them into English.It's important to note that, like TikTok, which is also known for collecting large amounts of user data, RedNote is subject to Chinese data laws. Show more Featured