With TikTok’s future uncertain, many Americans are turning to RedNote and learning Mandarin to connect.

Language apps like Duolingo and Drops are seeing a big uptick in users wanting to learn Chinese. Duolingo mentioned that they’ve had a whopping 216% increase in new Mandarin learners compared to last year. That’s way more than other languages, like Spanish, which only saw a 40% rise.
It’s not just Duolingo; Drops is also reporting a surge in users learning Chinese. Their general manager said they’ve welcomed three times as many new users in just a few days. It seems like the buzz around RedNote is really driving this interest.
Experts are saying this is a unique moment for cultural exchange, with Americans eager to learn Mandarin to connect with new friends on RedNote. Some users are even sharing their learning journeys on TikTok, showing off their new skills in fun ways.
Interestingly, as Americans flock to RedNote, some Chinese users are picking up English from their new American friends. In just two days, over 700,000 new users joined Xiaohongshu, but that’s still just a small fraction compared to TikTok’s 170 million users in the US.
As for TikTok, its future is still uncertain. There’s talk of a potential ban, and the Supreme Court is looking into it. But who knows? There might be a way for TikTok to stay in the game, especially with some potential buyers interested in keeping it alive in the US. It’s a wild time for social media, that’s for sure!