TikTok Notes is shutting down. By 8 May 2025, the short-lived photo-sharing app will be gone, bringing the end of TikTok’s attempt to challenge Instagram with a standalone platform.
Users have been advised to back up their content and, instead, migrate to Lemon8—another ByteDance-owned app with similar features.
TikTok Notes never really found its audience. Despite testing in Canada, Australia, and Vietnam, adoption stayed low. The platform functioned like Instagram, allowing users to post photos and slideshows, but it failed to gain traction in the competitive world of social media. Now, ByteDance is pulling the plug.
A notice sent to users stated: “This decision was not made lightly.” TikTok is encouraging those who liked Notes to move over to Lemon8, describing it as a “lifestyle app that offers a similar experience” but with “even more features.”
Lemon8 isn’t new. It launched in Japan in 2020 before expanding to the U.S. and Southeast Asia. The app blends elements of Instagram and Pinterest, offering users the ability to share curated lifestyle content with creative tools, filters, and stickers. ByteDance appears to be placing it as its long-term player in the photo-sharing space.
A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the transition: “We’re excited to bring the feedback from TikTok Notes to Lemon8 as we continue building a dedicated space for our community to share and experience photo content, designed to complement and enhance the TikTok experience.”
ByteDance’s decision to push Lemon8 is not just a product reshuffle. With the U.S. about to ban TikTok over national security issues, the company is hedging its bets. Lemon8 is being positioned as a potential fallback.
Last November, ByteDance made it easier for users to link their TikTok accounts to Lemon8 and cross-share content. This wasn’t just about convenience but strategy. If TikTok faces regulatory issues in key markets, ByteDance wants an alternative that can still keep its creators engaged.
Lemon8 had around 12.5 million active users globally as of December 2024. That’s a fraction of TikTok’s audience, but ByteDance is banking on its ability to scale. Unlike Notes, which was a direct Instagram competitor, Lemon8 leans more into lifestyle content—fashion, travel, food—giving it a different appeal.
The challenge, however, is competition. Instagram and Pinterest are topping in this space, and breaking into their user base won’t be easy. ByteDance will need more than cross-promotion with TikTok to make Lemon8 a success. It will need a strong monetisation strategy, creator incentives, and an identity that differentiates it from the competition.
