The looming ban on TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has skyrocketed the popularity of its sister app, Lemon8, also owned by the Chinese company. The app blends TikTok-style short videos with Instagram and Pinterest aesthetics.
Lemon8, launched in the US in 2023, easily integrates TikTok accounts, allowing cross-posting, similar to Instagram and Threads. It saw an estimated 150% global download increase in December, reaching 12.5 million monthly active users.
Notably, 70% of those downloads came from the US, according to market intelligence company Sensor Tower.
The rise is mainly due to creators promoting Lemon8 as a TikTok alternative. The app now has over 1 million daily active US users, a jump compared to its earlier performance.
However, TikTok still has over 170 million US users.
While it seems like a possible replacement, congressmen warn that the same federal law threatening to ban TikTok’s US operations could impact Lemon8.
Recap
President Joe Biden signed a bill in April mandating TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, divest its ownership or face a nationwide ban beginning January 19, 2025. The US Supreme Court will hear TikTok’s First Amendment challenge to the ban tomorrow.
Lemon8’s recent surge underscores the high stakes for ByteDance amid US-China tensions.