Americans Are Learning Chinese and Turning to TikTok Alternative RedNote

The Chinese text and video platform Xiaohongshu—popularly known as RedNote—was the most downloaded app in the United States this week, and Duolingo just revealed a 216% increase in Mandarin learning on its platform. Just days before the TikTok app gets banned in the U.S., Americans are already preparing and turning to RedNote.

According to The New York Times, RedNote has over 300 million users, mostly from China. The data reveals that new users from the U.S. have been joining the Chinese alternative to show that they don’t care about TikTok’s ties to the Asian country or the privacy and security concerns for which TikTok is getting banned. Other Americans have been campaigning to get their TikTok followers to subscribe to their content on different platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

Many RedNote users have been using the hashtag “TikTokrefugee” to interact on the platform. Chinese users have been sharing the message “Welcome TikTok refugees.”

According to Reuters, over 700,000 new U.S. members have joined the Chinese platform as TikTok—with over 170 million American accounts—approaches its possible ban in the territory on January 19.

Chinese users and American users have been interacting directly. Users have been exchanging information about their countries, Chinese users have been answering questions about China’s birth policies or city tourist sights, and Americans have been answering questions about popular video games. However, there’s a language barrier that Americans are trying to overcome.

According to TechCrunch, is not just about interacting with Chinese users, RedNote’s default language is Mandarin Chinese, so U.S. residents are learning the language—a significant peak of 216% in Mandarin learning on Duolingo.

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

“Oh so NOW you’re learning Mandarin,” posted Duolingo on X on Tuesday, and later the graphics of the increased interest of Americans in learning the language on its platform.