Photo Credit: Vivo Creative
ByteDance appears to be pushing TikTok users to download Lemon8, an alternative app that more closely mimics Pinterest or Instagram.
The TikTok ban law applies to other apps owned by ByteDance (including Lemon8), so it’s unclear if this gambit will work. ByteDance is likely hoping that regulators will focus solely on TikTok. ByteDance appears to be including Lemon8 sponsored posts all over TikTok in a bid to get users more familiar with the offering—and potentially switch.
Axios reports on sponsored posts created by TikTok users encouraging people to Switch. “TikTok actually has another backup app. It’s called Lemon8, and it automatically signs you in with your TikTok so you can still keep the same TikTok name and things like that. And it’s supposed to transfer your followers over. Once you add Lemon8, it automatically pops up on your TikTok bio so that people can just click on it.”
Another sponsored post told those watching, “Just so you guys know, now that they’re trying to do this ban, if you want to have somewhere else to go where the government is not 100% controlling what we see, what we consume, just go ahead and go on Lemon8.”
ByteDance began the close integration of Lemon8 and TikTok in November 2024. TikTok began informing its users that the sister app Lemon8 would be powered by TikTok and that TikTok usernames would also be used for Lemon8. “Some of your data on TikTok will be used to power services on Lemon8,” that notice informs users. “Your Lemon8 profile link will be shown on your TikTok profile publicly by default.”
Lemon8’s user base is still tiny compared to TikTok’s behemoth growth since 2019—but engagement on the app is growing. Lemon8 appears to average more than 1 million daily active app users since October 2024. That’s nearly double what it was the year prior, when TikTok launched the app as an Instagram competitor.
It’s unclear how much the effort to send TikTok users to Lemon8 to avoid the ban will play out. That’s because the law signed by President Biden targets any app developed by ByteDance—not just TikTok. While TikTok is the face of the ban because it is ByteDance’s most popular app, ByteDance has other apps under its umbrella including Lemon8, Gauth, SoundOn, CapCut, and Hypic.