Should You Use Lemon8? Here's How It's Different From TikTok

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The TikTok prohibition has been stopped (for now), but it mightiness inactive beryllium a bully thought to see your other options. Unless a US buyer intervenes, the app could vanish for US users connected April 1. 

Read more: A VPN Alone Probably Won't Bypass TikTok Bans. Here's Why

But there's different app owned by TikTok genitor institution ByteDance that's making waves. Lemon8 is 1 of the apical Lifestyle apps in Apple's App Store, and it has much than 10 cardinal downloads successful the Google Play store.

"Lemon8 is simply a manner assemblage focused app powered by TikTok, wherever you tin observe and stock authentic contented connected a assortment of topics specified arsenic beauty, fashion, travel, food, and more," the app's statement reads successful some stores.

Here's what you request to cognize astir Lemon8.

Note: I reached retired to ByteDance for this story, and the institution did not respond for comment.

What is Lemon8?

Lemon8 station  from idiosyncratic    Ken showing a furniture  with a neon airy  connected  1  partition  and photos hanging connected  different  wall

Lemon8 posts tin incorporate substance to assistance statement objects successful the post.

Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNET

Lemon8 is simply a video- and photo-sharing level that eschews the vertical-scrolling format of TikTok successful favour of a Pinterest board-style format. But what Lemon8 and TikTok bash person successful communal is some person Following and For You tabs to amusement you posts from creators you travel and posts the app thinks you volition like.

Lemon8's contented is divided into six taxable tabs, positive a seventh tab called All. The different tabs are Fashion, Beauty, Food, Wellness, Travel and Home. These tabs tin beryllium recovered crossed the apical of your screen, and tapping into these tabs shows you recommended and suggested posts. 

Posts tin beryllium swipeable photograph collections similar successful Instagram, oregon TikTok-style videos. Some creators adhd substance to their photos to statement covering oregon a product. Some volition besides see the terms of the point successful the text. 

How is Lemon8 antithetic from TikTok and different apps?

Lemon8 is antithetic from different apps successful presumption of what is posted and however it's presented.

Lemon8 has a batch of influencer ads and merchandise recommendations. It's hard to archer what is and isn't sponsored content, and this appears to beryllium the norm crossed the app. TikTok besides has sponsored content, but usually these are marked arsenic specified successful the bottom-left corner. 

A database  of hashtags successful  the app Lemon8

Memes don't look to beryllium catching connected successful Lemon8.

Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNET

There aren't a batch of memes oregon jokes connected Lemon8 compared to different apps, either. You tin find memes connected Lemon8, but assorted hashtags associated with "memes," similar "funnymemes" and "catmemes," person less than 1 cardinal views (as opposed to hundreds of millions connected Instagram). This could beryllium due to the fact that Lemon8 is inactive catching connected successful the US, but my suspicion is Lemon8 isn't meant for memes. It's meant to beryllium much of a guidebook to assistance you execute a definite manner oregon aesthetic. 

There's besides a batch of penning successful Lemon8. For example, station captions mightiness see instructions for a look oregon a deeper breakdown of an outfit. TikTok captions tin person utile information, but those captions are much astir connecting posts to hashtags to get much views and don't needfully adhd caller accusation to the TikTok post. Lemon8 uses captions successful a akin mode to Instagram posts, but Lemon8 captions person 1 cardinal quality from Instagram: templates. 

Lemon8's template leafage   with Fashion, Shopping Finds and Beauty crossed  the apical  of the surface  and different   headings similar  Date Night Outfit ideas, Charming Hangout Outfit Ideas for Ladies and How to Style below

Lemon8 templates tin assistance you rapidly make, oregon springiness you an thought of what to see in, captions.

Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNET

Lemon8 lets you usage templates for your posts to assistance you rapidly format and to springiness you an thought of what to caption your post. There are caption templates for fashion, buying finds, beauty, nutrient and travel.

Lemon8 reminds maine of a mashup betwixt the magazines Martha Stewart Living, Muscle & Fitness and Travel + Leisure. You tin find immoderate utile tips successful Lemon8 to assistance you execute a desired aesthetic oregon find immoderate abrogation inspiration, but it's not wide what is and isn't an ad.

What are radical saying astir Lemon8?

People's absorption to Lemon8 is seemingly affirmative truthful far. One TikTok creator posted a video calling Lemon8 "Pinterest, but interactive." Another said Lemon8 is simply a operation of Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok.

However, this positivity could beryllium artificially inflated. ZDNet reports that galore TikTok posts astir Lemon8 person described the app with akin language, making immoderate judge ByteDance paid these creators. 

And immoderate Lemon8 creators' claims marque this mentation dependable much viable. One Lemon8 creator told Insider that ByteDance paid them to station connected the app. Two different Lemon8 creators showed Insider emails that outlined the app's outgo structure. 

Should you download Lemon8?

Lemon8 is escaped truthful adjacent if you're a small funny you tin download and effort the app. Just cognize the app's posts lucifer instructional guides much than memes to share, and galore posts consciousness similar advertisements. 

Who owns Lemon8?

ByteDance, the Chinese tech institution that owns TikTok, besides owns Lemon8. According to ZDNet, ByteDance is positioning Lemon8 to beryllium an Instagram rival arsenic much users halt using, oregon abandon, Meta's app. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, a leaked interior memo from Meta showed that Instagram engagement was declining. ByteDance executives could beryllium hoping to capitalize connected this by giving Instagram users an alternate app successful the signifier of Lemon8. And portion Lemon8 was released globally successful 2020, the app's caller maturation mightiness amusement ByteDance's gamble is paying off.

What's Lemon8's privateness policy?

 Cherry Blossom Season

Lemon8's question tab tin springiness you inspiration for your adjacent getaway.

Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNET

Most of Lemon8's privacy policy seems modular for societal media apps. It states Lemon8 collects idiosyncratic and determination accusation to supply you with a amended app experience. Some collected accusation includes your IP code and browsing history. But portion of the app's privateness argumentation mightiness rise eyebrows.

"The idiosyncratic accusation we cod from you whitethorn beryllium stored connected a server located extracurricular of the state wherever you live," the argumentation reads. The institution has servers astir the world, according to the policy, truthful your accusation could beryllium stored successful immoderate of them.

This is antithetic from however Lemon8's sister app TikTok stores immoderate user's data. The institution stores US-based idiosyncratic information successful Oracle servers. TikTok CEO Shou Chew said ByteDance employees successful China tin entree this data, but with "robust cybersecurity controls and authorization approval" overseen by a US-based information team. 

For much connected the TikTok ban, here's what to cognize astir the Supreme Court's decision, here's what could hap next and present are other apps users are flocking to.

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