RedNote’s US userbase plummets after TikTok ban extension
TikTok/RednoteAfter skyrocketing in popularity ahead of the TikTok ban, RedNote’s US active users plummeted after President Trump extended the TikTok ban deadline.
In the week leading up to TikTok’s ban on Sunday, January 19, users flocked to a different China-owned social media platform.
Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, skyrocketed to the top of the App Store’s free app listings, well above the likes of ByteDance’s Lemon8 and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
On January 20, however, President Trump signed an executive order extending enforcement of the TikTok ban for another 75 days… and users flocked back to the ByteDance app.
US users have dumped RedNote
According to TechCrunch, RedNote’s daily active United States-based users declined by 54% on January 20 when Trump’s executive order was signed. As the week continued, the average US daily active users dropped by 17% between January 20 and January 22.
At the time of writing, the app has dropped from the top of the App Store charts as well. It’s now the thirteenth most popular free iOS app, well below Threads, Bluesky, and Temu.
RednoteDespite TikTok being available in the US until April, it’s yet to be re-added to Apple or Google’s App Stores. It was removed on January 18, when TikTok shut off service ahead of its ban in the US.
It’s unknown when they’ll be added again, and those who have uninstalled TikTok are seeking other ways to acquire access to the app.
Users are flocking to eBay to buy used iPhones that have TikTok included with many paying a sizable premium for a new device. One sold listing for a base model iPhone 15 Pro went for $14,000 as it included both TikTok and CapCut, ByteDance’s video editing app.
Popular video game store GameStop made posts on social media asking people to trade in their iPhones with TikTok installed, likely just as a way to advertise its existing trade-in program.