What is Rednote? 📕 And other TikTok Alternatives 🥲
It’s unclear if the TikTok ban will go into effect or not. Here are the alternatives people are leaning on in case it does 📲
Welcome to 2025! So far, it’s a sh!t show. 😃
Speaking of…right now, it’s unclear if the TikTok ban will go into effect or be delayed further–we’ll find out more later today While it seems Zuckerberg thought this would work in his favor that seems to be the opposite case as people seek Meta alternatives. If you’re looking to avoid Meta, but still have a backup plan for the potential TikTok ban, here are some alternatives for you:
📕 Rednote or Little Red Book or Xiaohongshu
Created in 2013 by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology, mostly used by Chinese netizens who have not had access to TikTok for some time. It seems to be the most similar to TikTok, with a strong algorithm and a large community aspect—though it is not strictly video based, and has a different user experience than TikTok. Overnight it became the #1 downloaded app on the Apple app store, and now has a lot of people saying that they love it, though people do seem split on where they will be going, it seems that Rednote has gained traction and could be the next big social media app. It’s the most similar to TikTok, being that it has its own version of an FYP, and it has an algorithm that works based on searches and your interests.
P.S.—Americans really American-ed when they named Jerry the CEO of Rednote (he’s not).
🦋 BlueSky
A Twitter (x 🙄) alternative text based platform owned by Jay Graber and the Bluesky team. It isn’t a video replacement, but if you’re looking for community, and want more text-based content, it could be the place for you. You can read more about BlueSky's features here.
📨 Substack
What I’m currently writing to you from. Founded in 2017 in San Francisco, CA. The blogging platform combines video, podcast, text features and more, as well as a social features, one called “Notes” that works as a social feed and another chat based option. The main way Substack works is via email or account subscriptions (free or paid), and there are desktop and app versions available. While it is an alternative some are choosing, it is not similar to TikTok being that you won’t be scrolling on an FYP, and the community aspect has a different tone. If that sounds like something that interests you and your community, start your own Substack!
