A surge of US users has propelled Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote, to the top of Apple’s US App Store, marking a new chapter in global social media interactions.

This migration comes as TikTok faces potential bans in the United States, prompting users to explore alternatives.

As reported by Eric Cheung, Joyce Jiang, and Hassan Tayir for CNN, Xiaohongshu, often called “China’s Instagram,” was founded in 2013 and has 300 million global users. While it previously had limited influence outside China, US downloads have nearly tripled in the past week, with over 700,000 new users joining in just two days.

American users, calling themselves “TikTok refugees,” are embracing the app as an act of defiance, fostering unexpected cultural exchange between US and Chinese communities.