The future of TikTok in the United States is uncertain. Talks of a potential ban on the app have been ongoing, raising concerns for its millions of users.
While this unfolds, another app from TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is starting to gain attention.
This app, called Lemon8, seems to be ByteDance’s backup plan if TikTok becomes unavailable in the U.S., according to Ziare.
Lemon8 combines features from both TikTok and Instagram. It allows users to post videos like TikTok and share photos in a way similar to Instagram.
The app is mainly targeted at Gen Z and Generation Alpha users. Lemon8 offers a “For You” feed for personalized recommendations and a “Following” feed to show content from accounts users follow.
This setup gives it a familiar feel for people already using TikTok but adds a slightly different way to express creativity.
ByteDance has been promoting Lemon8 heavily through TikTok. Many users have seen sponsored posts encouraging them to explore Lemon8 as an alternative platform.
ByteDance is making the switch easy by letting users keep their TikTok usernames and some of their account data when signing up for Lemon8.
To make things even smoother, Lemon8 links automatically appear in TikTok profiles, so followers can quickly find creators on the new app.
ByteDance has said that Lemon8’s promotion is not connected to the legal challenges TikTok faces.
However, the close relationship between the two apps has raised some eyebrows. If TikTok gets banned, the same laws could potentially apply to Lemon8 since it is also owned by ByteDance.
Despite this, ByteDance seems confident in Lemon8’s smaller user base and unique features, which it hopes will help the app stand out.
Currently, Lemon8 has about one million daily active users. Whether it will grow further or face the same hurdles as TikTok remains to be seen.
For now, ByteDance is positioning Lemon8 as a fresh option for social media users looking for creative outlets.
