China's RedNote enjoys massive uptick as TikTok ban took effect in the US, but due to Trump's intervention, was only offline for 12 hours
Following weeks of speculation, the US ban on TikTok came into effect late Saturday, leaving 170 million American users scrambling for alternatives. By Sunday morning, TikTok had stopped working and vanished from Apple’s App Store and Google Play, marking a dramatic halt to its operations in the country. But only 12 hours later, due to Trump's intervention, TikTok was up and running in the US to the relief of its millions of users.

In a surprising twist, many US users have turned to another Chinese-owned app, RedNote, sparking an ironic counterpoint to the ban’s primary justification: alleged ties between TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party.
TikTok’s farewell, if only for 12 hours as Trump rerversed the ban
TikTok users received an in-app message late Saturday explaining the shutdown:
"A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. 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."
President Donald Trump, took office on Monday, had publicly shared his intentions to stop the ban, hence TikTok's statement. Speaking to NBC last week, Trump hinted that he would be giving TikTok more time as a possible solution is discussed and true to his word, the ban was lifted after just 12 hours offline.
"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it's appropriate," Trump said. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday." Trump did indeed reverse the decision to ban TikTok and has given TikTok a 75 day extension to their services while TikTok find a US partner.
Rednote, the new home for ‘TikTok refugees’
According to data from Similarweb, RedNote saw a dramatic surge in U.S. users, gaining nearly 3 million in a single day last week. Daily active users in the U.S. jumped from under 700,000 the day prior to 3.4 million as of Monday, up from approximately 300,000 the week before. This number has likely increased significantly following the full ban implementation. Another ByteDance owned app, Lemon8, is also experiencing an increase in users.

Chinese users on RedNote have largely welcomed the influx of new users, engaging in discussions about Chinese culture, cuisine, and travel. However, one major hurdle that new US users may have to overcome is Beijing's censorship.
China maintains strict control over its internet through the "Great Firewall," blocking content that doesn’t align with the government’s agenda.
The road ahead for TikTok
Having been temporarily offline, reversed the TikTok ban on Sunday . Will he reinstate the social media app to its previous operating model, or will he push for a divestment? President Trump will decide on the future of TikTok by giving them a 75 extension while they find a US partner.
Media reports suggest a range of suitors, from former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has reportedly been in talks with Beijing about acquiring TikTok’s U.S. business. ByteDance has denied Musk’s involvement.
Another intriguing bidder is U.S.-based search engine startup Perplexity AI, which reportedly submitted a proposal to merge with TikTok’s U.S. operations and create a new entity with additional partners.
At the time of the temporary shutdown, TikTok has over 170 million US users. ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is 60% owned by institutional investors, with its founders and employees holding 20% each. The company currently employs over 7,000 people in the US adding more complexity to the situation.
TikTok is now back online in the US serving it's stateside users, but the 75 day extension has to be resolved by the extension deadline.