Lemon8 Loses Traction In The U.S., But Remains Popular In Asia
Data from analytics company Appfigures shows Lemon8 reached its peak number of downloads in the U.S. in September last year. The app saw 525,000 installs that month after launching in February 2023, although the lifestyle-sharing app retains a sizable user base in Asia.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is behind the photo and video-sharing platform which allows users to link their Instagram and TikTok accounts to broaden their reach.
Users can interact with content from others they follow, as well as curated content suggested by the app’s algorithm based on their interests and searched-for topics, which is reported to be the same algorithm as TikTok’s.
While it doesn’t support vertical video scrolling like TikTok, it offers an aesthetically pleasing Pinterest-like grid of visual-first content. Content is linked to specific topics, so any user searching for a trending topic can easily find relevant posts.
Photo carousels are one of the most popular post types by users, with built-in editing tools and the ability to add longer captions similar to those on Pinterest.
The app first launched in 2020 and has since amassed an impressive user base in Japan and Thailand, where it’s been downloaded by more than 7.4 million and 5 million users respectively, according to data from app analytics company data.ai.
Lemon8 saw a surge in popularity following its launch in the U.S., even reaching the number one spot in the App Store for lifestyle apps.
The looming possibility of a ban on TikTok in the U.S., due to pending legislation at the time, likely boosted the numbers of downloads early on.
With the impact of TikTok avoiding a nationwide ban and user complaints of its algorithm pushing irrelevant content, the app once poised to replace TikTok has seemingly lost relevance within the U.S. market.
It remains popular globally, with more than 25 million global downloads since its launch.
