Since TikTok's rise to fame, many have questioned the app's privacy terms. Many have raised concerns about the app's data collection methods, with many citing how the Chinese government allegedly gains access to the app's user details. As a result, certain countries have passed bills to ban TikTok. In April 2024, former U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation that requires ByteDance, the Chinese company behind the mega-app, to sell it to a government-approved buyer. If they do failed to meet the requirements, the social media platform would have to be banned. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, a bill prohibiting TikTok and other "foreign-adversary" platforms was filed in May 2024.
Now that a TikTok ban is looming in the US, social media users are looking for alternatives to the short-form video-sharing platform. Enter Lemon8, TikTok's sister app.
What Is Lemon8? The App Touted As TikTok’s Aletrnative
Lemon8 is another app made by the Chinese company ByteDance, which first launched in Japan in 2020. The app then made its way to the U.S. in 2023, coincidentally when users started looking for alternatives to TikTok.
While TikTok is primarily a short-form video-sharing platform, Lemon8 offers a slightly different experience. It has similar features such as a scrollable For You Page (a.k.a. FYP) and video content sharing. It also has similar features to Instagram and Pinterest such as posting and editing photos and collages.
Who is Lemon8 for?
Lemon8 is for Pinterest mood-board-making girlies and those who enjoyed reading blogs on Tumblr circa 2016. However, a major difference it has from Pinterest is how the platform boasts the community engagement. So for the Pinterest girlies who are completely happy with the app but are yearning for a sense of community, then Lemon8 is made for you.
While the app is similar to Pinterest, it is more comparable to Instagram during its earlier days. On Lemon8, however, users can craft longer captions. Plus, the new app also allows users to make more intensive, Canva-like edits to their images in-app.
At the same time, Lemon8 uses the algorithm to personalize content to its users, similar to its sister app TikTok where the FYP is dictated by one's specific interests. In Lemon8, these are primarily lifestyle content which include beauty, fashion, and travel niches.
Can users from the Philippines access Lemon8?
As of writing, Lemon8 is not yet available in the Philippines. However, there has been an increasing demand in the country, and we could hope that ByteDance will consider adding the Philippines to the list of countries where Lemon8 will be downloadable.
This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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