XiaohongshuXiaohongshuXiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book” in Chinese, is a lifestyle e-commerce and social media platform.READ MORE, which translates to “little red book” in Chinese, is a lifestyle e-commerce and social media platform. Think Instagram meets Tiktok: an app whose feed offers an infinite scroll of Instagram-like posts, powered by TikTok-style customized recommendations. It recently shot to the top of the app download charts in the U.S., fueled by a surge of TikTok users seeking an alternative amid fears of a ban.
The social media platform made waves across Western media this week. At Rest of World, we’ve been writing about Xiaohongshu and its influence — both within and outside China — for a couple of years. Here’s everything you should know about the app.
What is Xiaohongshu?
Xiaohongshu is one of the most popular social networks in China. It is not a TikTok dupe; that would be Douyin, which is also owned by TikTok-parent ByteDance. Xiaohongshu is more frequently compared to Instagram. The app offers an infinite scroll feed powered by algorithmic recommendations. Xiaohongshu users, most of whom are young women, commonly use the app to exchange tips on travel, shopping, and other lifestyle topics. It boasts over 300 million monthly active users.
Beyond personal lifestyle tips, Xiaohongshu has also shaped global tourism trends. Users helped transform Düsseldorf into a foodie hot spot, drawing Chinese tourists to the city’s Japanese restaurants and bakeries. Similarly, the platform has driven a surge of interest in Southeast Asian travel, with its users sharing curated itineraries and hidden gem photo ops that have fueled Chinese tourism to destinations like Thailand and Vietnam.
Is RedNote the same thing as Xiaohongshu?
Yes! Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book” in Chinese, has been dubbed “RedNote” by TikTokers. Xiaohongshu had not previously targeted American users, but was the most downloaded app on Apple’s U.S. App Store as of January 14.
The “little red book” is reportedly a nod to the colors of Stanford and Bain Capital, where one of the app’s founders Charlwin Mao attended college and worked. Wired reporter Zeyi Yang suggests it may also be a wink at Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book” of quotations.
How long has it been around?
Xiaohongshu has been around for 12 years now, though it’s evolved significantly from a shopping-focused platform to a social network shaping global trends.
Who owns Xiaohongshu?
Xiaohongshu was founded in Shanghai in 2013 by Charlwin Mao and Miranda Qu Fang. Investors including Tencent, Alibaba, and DST have put nearly $1 billion into the company, shooting up its valuation to $17 billion as of 2024.
Why are so many people downloading it now?
Thousands of “TikTok refugees” have flocked to Xiaohongshu after TikTok influencers called for a migration to the app to show their opposition to the U.S. government’s crackdown on TikTok. The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on a law that requires TikTok to be divested from its parent company ByteDance by January 19, or face a ban in the U.S.
Do you have to use your real name on Xiaohongshu?
The Chinese government has long required Chinese users to register with their real names on social media platforms, but previously, users often adopted the alias “momo” — a cute pink dinosaur — as a public username to speak more freely online. However, the era of anonymity is coming to an end: Apps like Xiaohongshu now require prominent influencers inside China to display their real names, tying online identities to verified personal information. These rules do not apply to people outside China.
In China, violations of content rules could result in account bans or legal repercussions, including jail time. American TikTokers who recently migrated to RedNote did not seem to know, or care, about platform rules. In the comments, some Chinese users reminded the newcomers not to discuss “politics, religion, and drugs.”
Who can create a Xiaohongshu account?
Anyone around the world is able to make an account on Xiaohongshu — for now. In contrast to ByteDance which created a separate app (TikTok) for users outside China, Xiaohongshu focuses primarily on Chinese users, and adheres to Beijing’s strict censorship rules. Whether the app will change anything to cater to its newest (international) users remains to be seen.
