TikTok owner ByteDance to launch new social media app for young users that will rival Instagram-like service Xiaohongshu
- The new ByteDance app called ‘Kesong’, which means croissant in Chinese, is designed for young users to share their lifestyle and hobbies
- It is expected to compete against Instagram-like social e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu, which has more than 200 million monthly active users
Beijing-based ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Kesong welcomes users to join its online community “this hot summer”, according to the platform’s introduction, which implies that the service may soon be launched.
The new app – featuring the slogan “new lifestyles for young people”, according to the 36kr report – marks the latest effort by ByteDance to introduce an Instagram-like service in the world’s biggest smartphone and internet market, as well as second-largest economy.
ByteDance previously rolled out similar apps, Xincao in 2018 and Xintu in 2019, which failed to take off on the mainland and were discontinued.
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Despite the setbacks at home, ByteDance has found success overseas for its Instagram-like platform. The firm’s “Lemon8” app, formerly known was “Sharee”, now has a growing user base in Japan and markets across Southeast Asia.
On Monday, Lemon8 was the second-most downloaded lifestyle app on Apple’s Japan App Store and topped the rankings in the iOS online store in Thailand, according to app analytics provider Data.ai.
Over the past two years, ByteDance has also moved to expand the features of both TikTok and Douyin, enabling users to shop online as they watch live-streamed programmes.