New Delhi: Late Saturday, TikTok notified its US users that the app would be “temporarily unavailable” starting Sunday. However, just a day later, the Chinese short-form video-hosting service announced it was restoring its services after President-elect Donald Trump pledged to revive the app’s access in the US upon returning to power Monday. In the meantime, many users had already begun exploring alternative platforms. And while major social media giants like Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts have incorporated TikTok-like features, a wave of new, innovative apps is also emerging to capture users’ attention.
Among these is the Chinese social media app RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, which has quickly gained traction. In the past week alone, over 3 million American and Chinese users joined the platform, propelling it to the top of the US download rankings. RedNote uses translation tools to navigate the Chinese interface and is popular for its travel and lifestyle content.
Another app that users turned to is Clapper, a Texas-based video and live streaming app. The app was founded in 2020 when initial talks of a TikTok ban started. The app has climbed to third place in the free iPhone app download charts. The app offers a similar experience like that of TikTok but without any ads and is available for people above the age group of 17. Moreover, creators can monetise the app through subscriptions and gifts.
Lemon8—another offering from the China-based ByteDance, that also owns TikTok—has emerged as a potential alternative in the US Launched in 2023, Lemon8 blends features from TikTok and Instagram, allowing users to post photos and create videos, making it an appealing choice for content creators seeking a new platform.
What’s happening with TikTok
TikTok was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores Saturday ahead of a federal ban in the US targeting the Chinese-owned platform. This follows legislation prohibiting social media platforms like TikTok from operating under a China-based parent company, ByteDance.
The law required ByteDance to sell the platform within 9 months or face a ban. Despite legal challenges, the US Supreme Court upheld the law, leading to TikTok’s shutdown in the country.
Concerns about TikTok’s data privacy and its potential influence by the Chinese government have grown over the years. While Trump first proposed banning the app in 2020, citing national security risks, it was under President Joe Biden’s administration that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was enacted in April 2024.
However, on Sunday, the President-elect announced that he would revive the app’s access in the US. He stated he would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security”.
In a post on Truth Social, he also mentioned that he would like the US “to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture”.
Trump said the executive order would include a provision ensuring no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before his order. He had previously indicated he would most likely grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after taking office—a promise TikTok referenced in a notice posted to users on the app.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned,” read a message notifying TikTok users.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray)
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