Lemon8 Gains Popularity Ahead of Possible Ban with TikTok

Lemon8 is becoming a favourite among content creators. Described as a “lifestyle community,” Lemon8 combines features from TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest – offering a space for users to share photos, videos, and edit content seamlessly. Since its U.S. release in February 2023, the app has soared in popularity, reaching the No. 1 spot on the Apple App Store and over 10 million downloads on Google Play.

However, as TikTok faces a potential ban in the U.S. due to its ownership by ByteDance the future of this rising platform is now in question – since Lemon8 is owned and operated by the same company. Bytedance has been under heavy scrutiny in the U.S. due to national security concerns, with the company being pushed to sell its key apps (namely Tiktok and other platofrms like Bytedance) to a U.S.-owned company by January 19, 2025.

Although Lemon8 isn’t explicitly mentioned in the legislation targeting TikTok, it is covered under terms addressing “any other applications or services developed by ByteDance.” This means that it’s very likely going to be included, despite its massive spike in users who see the platform as the best fresh new alternative to long-standing apps like Instagram. Tiktok has been showing sponsored videos directing users to Lemon8, with the two platforms being somewhat cross-compatible by letting users keep the same accounts/usernames.

This ban would also impact apps like CapCut, a video editor, due to the wording of the proposed ban. With the deadline rapidly approaching, it’ll be interesting to see if this push for users to join Lemon8 is somehow meant to counteract the ban itself, due to it being owned by a company within TikTok instead of Bytedance itself according to its App Store page.