Lemon8 is Exploding in Popularity – Will the Chinese App be an Instagram Killer?

Lemon8, a social media app by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has taken the US app store by surprise while the US Congress deliberates between a ban and a forced sale of the TikTok app.

The app which markets itself as a “content sharing platform with a youthful community” on Monday ranked number 10 on U.S. App Store’s Top Charts among the overall apps including games. The following day, the app had progressed to Number 9 on the Top Apps charts excluding games.

What is Lemon8 and how is it linked to TikTok?

Lemon8 is a social media application that enables users to create longer blog-like entries with related photos and videos about subjects like fashion, fitness, and travel. It also includes a variety of editing tools and filters that users can use to enhance their content.

It provides users with access to a personalized feed of content based on their preferences and the creators they follow.

The app, in contrast to its sister app TikTok that features a feed of short videos, is more like a blend of Instagram and Pinterest. It shares a similar layout to TikTok with its “following” and “for you” sections, a grid display of images like Pinterest, and an explore page reminiscent of Instagram.

Despite most media outlets and legal documents stating the owner of the app is ByteDance, the app is listed under Singapore-based Heliophilia Pte on the app store. Interestingly, according to Singapore’s company registry, Zhou Qin, a Singaporean, is stated as Heliophilia’s director, and the firm is listed as having the same address as TikTok’s regional headquarters.

Additionally, a report by Reuters stated that Alex Zhu, executive vice president of product and strategy at ByteDance and a former CEO of TikTok, is in charge of the app.

Lemon8 was first launched globally in March 2020 to compete with the likes of Meta-owned Instagram. It was then discreetly added to the US app store, possibly for testing purposes. However, in the last few days, the app has gained traction so much that it has risen in ranks on app charts.

The app has seen increased popularity in the United States where it has surpassed Pinterest, Tinder – the relationship app, and Zillow – the real estate app to become the most popular lifestyle app for iPhone users in the country.

Prior to this surge, the app was unknown and had never appeared on any of the app charts. This sudden popularity shows that paid user growth strategies were implemented in countries like the US and UK.

The company confirmed that the increased activity implies that the app publisher made a “significant” and “recent” push to increase user acquisition. According to Business Insider, the app has been paying influencers in the UK to post on the app.

The report further stated that the creators were provided with guidelines on how to curate the content to post on the platform. The instructions included high-definition, vertically shot photos, a minimum of 3 to 7 photos, and 100 to 300 words in the captions to “inform and inspire people on your topic.”

While the move seems to be bearing fruits, it’s still early to conclude whether or not the gained popularity will hold.

Will Lemon8 kill Instagram?

While it’s still early days for Lemon8, there are signs that the app could become a serious competitor to Instagram. In China, Lemon8 has already surpassed Instagram in terms of daily active users, and the app’s user base is continuing to grow at a rapid pace.

Despite the silent debut, the app has already garnered 4.25 million monthly active users in the U.S. alone with data concerning the number of installs being difficult to find considering the app is still new.

So far, the app has received very positive reviews even from non-paid users who appreciate the numerous features the app spots including editing capabilities almost like those of Canva.

However, other users stated that posting on Lemon8 was significantly more time-consuming and required more effort than posting on other social media platforms due to the length and detail necessary in captions and posts.
On the other hand, the app could be stopped in its tracks due to its ties with ByteDance and Tiktok which has raised red flags with governments across the world due to data security concerns.

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