TikTok is shutting down its Instagram competitor, TikTok Notes
What is it, and why is it getting the axe?
TikTok Notes, the photo-sharing app that was supposed to kill Instagram, is shutting down. By May 8, it’ll be gone, and TikTok is redirecting users to its sister app — Lemon8 – owned by its parent company, ByteDance.
If you’re wondering what TikTok Notes even was, you’re not alone (I never used it as well). It was launched in Canada, Australia, and Vietnam as a test run last year, offering a place to post photos and slideshows—basically, a direct shot at Instagram. But it didn’t take off. Now, ByteDance is withdrawing and redirecting everyone to Lemon8, which has been around since 2020 and is more of a Pinterest-meets-Instagram kind of vibe.
A notice sent to TikTok Notes users made it clear that the app’s days were already numbered. “This decision was not made lightly,” the message reads, before encouraging users to download their data and try Lemon8 instead, which, according to TikTok, has “even more features.”
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
ByteDance hasn’t spelled out why TikTok Notes is getting the ax, but objectively speaking, it probably just didn’t get enough traction. Plus, with Lemon8 reportedly pulling in 12.5 million active users as of December 2024, it kind of makes sense for ByteDance to focus its energy there.
The timing is for this announcement is equally interesting. TikTok itself is under fire in the U.S., facing a potential ban by April 5. Last year, ByteDance made it easier for users to link their TikTok and Lemon8 accounts, letting them cross-share content. This is probably not a coincidence. If TikTok goes away in certain markets, ByteDance needs a backup plan to keep users in its ecosystem. Lemon8 might just be that plan.
Instagram and Pinterest already dominate the photo-sharing and lifestyle content space. If Lemon8 is going to be more than just a TikTok Notes replacement, ByteDance will need a strategy beyond just porting users over.
