TikTok is terminating its Instagram counterpart, TikTok Notes, on May 8. This image-sharing platform debuted in a trial phase across Canada, Australia, and Vietnam last year.
The organization is informing TikTok Notes patrons of its choice to phase out the application, guiding them toward Lemon8, a ByteDance creation. This shift isn’t unexpected, considering the striking resemblance and parallel features both platforms exhibit.
“We’re thrilled to incorporate the insights gained from TikTok Notes into Lemon8 as we forge ahead, crafting a unique haven for our community to exchange and explore photographic narratives, designed to enrich and augment the TikTok journey,” a TikTok representative conveyed to TechCrunch.
Although TikTok refrained from disclosing a precise motive for discontinuing the app, it’s plausible that the firm observed limited uptake for TikTok Notes and has opted to bolster Lemon8, which boasted approximately 12.5 million monthly active users worldwide by December 2024.
In a communication to TikTok Notes subscribers, TikTok expresses that the resolution to close the app “was reached with careful deliberation.” The message urges users to retrieve and preserve their TikTok Notes content and “persist in unleashing your ingenuity on Lemon8.” TikTok describes Lemon8 as “a lifestyle application delivering an experience akin to TikTok Notes,” yet endowed with “an expanded array of capabilities.”
Lemon8 emerged in Japan in 2020, subsequently extending its reach to the U.S. and Southeast Asian territories. The platform mirrors Instagram and Pinterest, enabling users to present slideshows and photo compilations while perusing material via “Following” and “For You” streams. Lemon8 equips users with an assortment of artistic instruments, filters, effects, stickers, text designs, and beyond.
While TikTok champions Lemon8 as a substitute for TikTok Notes, ByteDance has also endeavored to position the app as a contingency for TikTok itself amid threats of a potential U.S. prohibition. Last November, the company enabled seamless access to Lemon8 using TikTok credentials and introduced functionality for users to interchange photo content across the platforms. This strategy was perceived as ByteDance’s effort to transition creators onto the new venue without necessitating separate registrations, safeguarding against TikTok’s possible disappearance.
Advancing to the present, TikTok persists in advocating Lemon8 within its ecosystem as it confronts a renewed ban deadline of April 5.
