Red Note, Lemon8, Clapper, and… Duolingo, the major beneficiaries of the TikTok drama in the U.S.

With less than a week left to determine TikTok’s fate in the United States, American users are actively seeking new platforms to fill the potential gap left by the Chinese social network’s possible exit.

American users transition to Red Note and use Duolingo to navigate It

Among the alternatives, Red Note is gaining popularity. Also known as Xiaohongshu in China, Red Note is a Chinese social network focusing on short videos, images, and texts, primarily featuring lifestyle content. However, its default language is Mandarin, and most of its users are Chinese, who use the platform in their native language.

Recently, Red Note has seen a significant surge in downloads. Between January 14th and 15th, it climbed 582 ranks in app download charts, becoming the most downloaded app in the U.S. for both iOS and Android, according to Data.ai.

The language barriers presented by Red Note have not deterred U.S. users. In fact, it has indirectly benefited another app: Duolingo. The language-learning application reported a 216% increase in American users learning Mandarin compared to the same period last year. While exact user numbers weren’t disclosed, the percentage growth was.

Learning Mandarin out of spite? You’re not alone.

We’ve seen a ~216% growth in new Chinese (Mandarin) learners in the US compared to this time last year. https://t.co/9hzwBxfTgD pic.twitter.com/qWM9f5oFYA

— Duolingo (@duolingo) January 15, 2025

Duolingo has quickly associated this substantial increase in U.S. users interested in Mandarin with the growing use of Red Note, which is being tested as a potential TikTok alternative. In fact, the language app has extended a warm welcome to these “TikTok refugees.”

@duolingo just some good phrases to keep in your back pocket #duolingo #rednote ♬ original sound – Duolingo

Lemon8 and Clapper, Other Platforms Gaining Popularity

Other social networks benefiting from this shift include Lemon8 and Clapper, ranked as the second and ninth most downloaded apps in the U.S. for iOS and Android, respectively. Lemon8, owned by ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, focuses on lifestyle content, resembling a blend of Instagram and Pinterest.

Clapper, on the other hand, is a short-video social network with videos up to 3 minutes long and live streaming. It offers a “radio” feature allowing the creation of rooms with up to 2,000 listeners and 20 speakers, focusing heavily on community building, enabling users to create groups with fans for direct interaction.

Photo: GPT4