Over the weekend of Jan. 18, TikTok and now President Trump slammed down the Uno reverse card for American TikTok users who had already resigned to flee the app. American TikTokers had 14 hours to grieve their loss, and now, as of Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order to delay the ban for 75 days. With the possible impending TikTok ban in the U.S. where will the over 35 per cent of U.S. citizens using the app go?

In the weeks before the initial closure, Americans started to search for a replacement platform outside of the other popular short-form video apps (Instagram’s Reels, YouTube Shorts). Among these replacements is the social media app RedNote. 

RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, has seen an increase in U.S.-based downloads following the anticipated TikTok ban, topping the U.S., Canada, and U.K. App Store charts. To see what the hype is all about, I decided to check in on the RedNote app and see how the “TikTok refugees,” as the American newcomers are calling themselves, are adapting to the platform.

I agreed to the user terms (not yet completely translated to English), chose some interests, and I was in. The main feed features videos and image posts, similar to Instagram, and a tab exists to just scroll videos, mimicking the familiar TikTok short-form video formula. While the format is similar to most social media platforms, with an easy-to-use, scrollable interface, RedNote appears to put more emphasis on user discussion, allowing for a larger character limit in captions and comment sections. 

My feed was filled with TikTok refugees, making jokes about finding their “Chinese spy” and receiving comments from Chinese users pretending to be their spy. While I was certainly curious to see how discussions with Chinese users of the app would go, I abstained from making any posts myself. The platform is still too unfamiliar for me to feel comfortable posting.

Shared jokes, like the “cat tax,” the idea that Chinese users will allow American users to stay as long as they promise to share photos of their cats, fill the app. Amongst jokes about being a TikTok refugee and content creators reposting their content to their “new” platform, there is an enthusiastic language exchange. Videos posted by Chinese users teach essential phrases to foreign users, and English-speaking users include side-by-side Mandarin translations in their comments to ensure Chinese users have no problem understanding them 

Right now, the app is lively, filled with new international users eager to exchange culture and jokes. But, it is unclear if these new TikTok refugees will stay. Or, will they continue their journey back to their home, only to return 75 days later?  It is still too early to see regular use of the app outside of the initial reactions to the platform. 

Following the 14-hour ban, some American users remain on RedNote as they explain their newfound love for RedNote. They also express skepticism of the U.S. government’s interference, pointing to TikTok’s return messages, professing thanks and crediting “President Trump’s efforts” for the app’s return to the country. 

As a Canadian user, I have yet to find any niches in the app that are personally interesting to me. Still, I find myself continuing to open it with replenished curiosity. For now, I intend to keep the app downloaded. I’m interested to continue exploring the RedNote platform to watch the ongoing international exchanges.