My American friend downloaded Xiaohongshu in January 2025. She now knows more about Shanghai than I do.
If you haven't heard of Xiaohongshu (小红书, "Little Red Book"), you need to. It's the app Chinese people actually use to figure out where to eat, what to buy, and where to travel.And in January 2025, 3 million Americans suddenly downloaded it.
The "TikTok refugee" moment:
When the US threatened to ban TikTok, millions of American users panicked and looked for alternatives. They found Xiaohongshu — a Chinese lifestyle platform they'd never heard of.
Overnight, it hit #1 on the US App Store.
My friend Jessica from San Francisco was one of them. She downloaded it "as a joke." She's still using it daily, 16 months later.
What Xiaohongshu actually is:
Imagine if Instagram, Pinterest, and Yelp had a baby. That's Xiaohongshu.
• 350 million monthly active users (as of mid-2025)
• 70% female users, mostly aged 18–35
• Trust-driven: People come here for honest reviews, not ads
• Search-first: Users actively search for recommendations before buying
• Visual: Photo-heavy, short-video content
How Jessica uses it as a foreigner in China:
1. Restaurant discovery
She searches "上海 火锅 推荐" (Shanghai hot pot recommendations). Gets hundreds of real reviews with photos, prices, and location tags. She's found restaurants I didn't know existed — and I've lived here 6 years.
2. Travel planning
Before any trip, she saves 50+ posts about her destination. "The hotel reviews are brutally honest. If a place has bad plumbing, someone will post a photo of the leak."
3. Shopping
Chinese users review everything — skincare, electronics, clothing. Jessica bought a ¥200 moisturizer based on 2,000 reviews. "It was better than my $80 serum from Sephora."
4. Language learning
She follows creators who teach daily Mandarin. "It's more practical than textbooks. I learned how to argue with a taxi driver from a 30-second video."
How to use it as a foreigner:
Download: Available globally on iOS and Android. Search "小红书" or "REDnote."
Registration:
• International phone numbers work
• Apple ID login works
• WeChat login works
• No Chinese ID needed
Language:
• Interface can be set to English (since the 2025 update)
• Built-in translation tool translates Chinese content to English
• Most content is still in Chinese, but translation is getting better
Search tips:
• Use Chinese keywords (use Google Translate)
• Search by location: "城市名 + 美食/酒店/景点"
• Filter by "most recent" or "most liked"
• Save posts to collections for trip planning
The catch:
• Algorithm is addictive. Jessica says she loses 45 minutes every morning scrolling.
• Some reviews are sponsored (but usually disclosed)
• E-commerce integration is tempting — you can buy directly from posts
• Privacy: it's a Chinese app. Your data is stored in China.
Jessica: "I came for the TikTok drama. I stayed because it's genuinely useful. I know more about Shanghai restaurants from 6 months on Xiaohongshu than I learned from 2 years of Google Maps and TripAdvisor."
Pro tip: Even if you don't post content, create an account and start saving posts before your China trip. Build a collection of restaurants, hotels, and tips. It's like having 350 million local guides in your pocket.
Anyone else use Xiaohongshu? What's the best thing you discovered on it?
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