What is the RedNote app? Here’s what you need to know
The RedNote app became super-popular worldwide in the first few months of 2025. Learn what it is, how it works, and more.
Interested in the RedNote app? We’ve got the essentials covered. Here’s what we’ll discuss:
- What is RedNote?
- Is RedNote like TikTok?
- Is RedNote Xiaohongshu?
- Is RedNote free?
- How to download the RedNote app
- Is the RedNote app available in English?
- Can you monetize content on RedNote?
What is RedNote?
RedNote is a Chinese social media app released in 2013. Initially referred to as “China’s answer to Instagram,” the app has since been adopted globally.
Content-wise, RedNote displays a mixture of text-, photo-, video-, and shopping-based content. This pitches it as a mash-up of Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter, with a little Pinterest and Amazon thrown in for good measure.
The app’s main purpose is to host bite-sized, engaging content on topics like food, music, fashion, and more. It’s packed with filters and effects like other social media platforms, but leans more towards ecommerce.
A healthy portion of posts feature direct links to products, letting users browse and complete purchases in-app. Content is split into three handy sections: “Follow,” “Explore,” and “Nearby.”
RedNote has more than 300 million active monthly users, clocking up over 50 million interactions per day. The app supports live streaming, but this function is only available to users with a valid Chinese ID — users outside of China can watch live streams, but can’t host. The shopping tools are also Chinese-exclusive at the time of writing.
Is RedNote like TikTok?
Many folks have drawn comparisons between TikTok and RedNote. While they’re both social media platforms that deliver short-form content to a younger demographic, they’re pretty different. RedNote launched three years before TikTok, and leans more into ecommerce.
RedNote also has more noticeable content restrictions than TikTok. The Wall Street Journal reported that “politically sensitive” content is censored for Chinese users, while the app’s definition of “revealing” clothes appears more conservative than TikTok’s.
Finally, TikTok is a more “localized” app than RedNote. The former balances local content with global, trending videos, while the latter is still broadly focused on the Chinese market.
Is RedNote Xiaohongshu?
As RedNote is a Chinese app, it has a different name in its home country: Xiaohongshu. This translates to “Little Red Book,” which is a similar, albeit less catchy title. So, if you think RedNote looks familiar, it probably is — you’ve just seen it advertised or used under the Xiaohongshu name.
Is RedNote free?
Like most other social media apps, RedNote is 100% free to download and use. In-app purchases are possible, but aren’t required to publish or engage with content.
How to download the RedNote app
The RedNote app is available for iOS and Android. If you’re a desktop user, you can access RedNote via the Xiaohongshu website, just like you would with platforms like Instagram.
From there, you can sign up for an account, verify your details, log in, and start browsing and creating content.
Is the RedNote app available in English?
If you download the RedNote app outside of China, the navigation features may appear in English. However, video titles, descriptions, and additional tools will remain in Mandarin, as it’s still a Chinese app with a majority-Chinese userbase. At the moment, there’s no official way to change this.
Can you monetize content on RedNote?
There’s currently no in-platform method to monetize RedNote content, beyond teaming up with brands for third-party sponsorship deals. Monetization could appear at some point, but for now, RedNote isn’t a viable earning pathway.
RedNote is popular with curious social media users, but it doesn’t provide much for professional content creators. The lack of monetization options and focus on one specific market make it fairly narrow, compared to apps with wider appeal like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
And unlike those platforms, RedNote’s music usage is heavily limited depending on region. The soundtrack can make or break your content — with restrictions like this, RedNote may not be the ideal home for professional output.
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