ByteDance’s latest lifestyle app, Lemon8, has taken the US app market by storm just two months after its launch. Described as a combination of Instagram and Pinterest, Lemon8 has already gained millions of daily users in Southeast Asia, where rival platform Xiaohongshu has not penetrated. The app has since entered the European and American markets, where it faces competition from more established platforms such as Instagram.
Though Lemon8’s popularity in the US was unexpected, it has managed to maintain its position in the top 20 list and has even ranked first in the lifestyle app category. Lemon8 entered the US market in February this year, and it only took slightly over a month to become popular.
The app first gained media attention in China in 2022, when it recorded over one million downloads in the Japanese market. It also made its entry into Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines at that time. As of last year, Lemon8’s global monthly active users have reached four million, and its global downloads have reached 16 million times.
ByteDance, the app’s parent company, plans to launch a global promotion in May to increase the number of users. The app also aims to start commercialization in September this year to help creators earn income from brands or other forms of advertising.
ByteDance’s overseas reach goes far beyond Tiktok, with video editing app Capcut also enjoying popularity in the United States. Recently, Capcut’s downloads even surpassed TikTok, and its global monthly active users have exceeded 200 million.
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Lemon8 is just entering the US market, where it faces stronger competition from apps such as Instagram that have a higher penetration rate. Aside from possible regulatory issues, Lemon8 also needs to attract users from its competitors.
The app’s success in the US market so far proves that there is still enough demand for lifestyle apps. ByteDance’s extensive overseas reach and its promotion strategies could take Lemon8 to greater heights, and as the app continues to grow and evolve, it remains to be seen how it will compete with its more established counterparts.