ByteDance-owned Instagram Rival Lemon8 Hits US App Store Top Ten

TikTok might get banned in the United States soon, but it seems ByteDance has a backup plan: Lemon8. The app is like a crosse between Pinterest and Instagram. 

It describes itself as a “lifestyle community.” More importantly, it rose to the US App Store’s Top Charts on Monday, becoming the number 10 Overall app.

At the time of writing, it was number 9 on the Top Apps chart, excluding games. Coincidentally, the United States is considering a nationwide TikTok ban.

What is Lemon8?

Photo Credit: pandaily.com

Lemon8 is under a Singapore-based company Heliophilia Pte. ltd. However, past reports have indicated Bytedance is its parent company. 

You sign up for this platform is similar to other social media. Log in, and the app will ask you to select a few topics that match your interests.

The main page includes a “For You” and a “Following” tab like TikTok. Yet, the aesthetic feels more akin to Instagram, with other pages relating to broad subjects like “Travel” or “Fitness.”

Some posts had explanations or tutorials for a wide range of topics. For example, one of them described “3 Ways to Style Viral Birkenstock Boston’s.”

Another explained, “ALL you need to know about styling a denim skirt!” Each post is a small photo carousel with a long description. 

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Others organized content with hashtags like #lemon8review for product reviews. Lemon8 follows a similar approach to ByteDance’s Kesong app called “planting grass.”

The term means getting people to purchase items based on reviews from online influencers. According to Business Insider, Lemon8 was paying influencers to post.

It reportedly told these content creators to put three to seven vertical pictures and long, 100 to 300-word captions for posts.

Lemon8’s sudden rise to online popularity may seem strange considering the general lack of advertising for the platform. 

It launched in Japan in 2020 with the name “Sharee,” making up 38% of its total downloads. 

Since then, the app has gained 16 million installs worldwide, according to app intelligence provider Apptopia. 

It also has 4.25 million monthly active users. However, the intel firm does not have figures for US downloads.

Nevertheless, users love the app. Gabriel Victor told her 435,300 followers, “it’s so [expletive] cute. Aesthetically pleasing. It’s like Pinterest and Instagram came together and had a baby.”

Conclusion

ByteDance’s Lemon8 has been topping US App Store charts lately. It seems like the perfect backup plan if the United States bans TikTok.

If you want to check out the app yourself, go ahead. However, check the terms and conditions before registering for any online service. 

Do you want to know about alternative social media platforms? Check out the latest digital trends from Inquirer Tech.