It seems that adoption of ByteDance’s Instagram-like “Lemon8” app is stalling, with the company now looking to use TikTok to boost Lemon8 sign-ups.
Today, TikTok has announced that TikTok users will now be able to access Lemon8 via their TikTok account, using the same login credentials for each app.
As explained by TikTok:
“While Lemon8 will remain a separate app, TikTok and Lemon8 will share a unified user login. This means that creators can use one account to login to both platforms, enhancing their ability to cross-share content between the two apps. This integration is designed to make photo sharing more feasible and fluid for all TikTok creators, expanding their reach and engagement potential.”
Lemon8, which gained traction in the U.S. last year, is a cross between Instagram and Pinterest, which ByteDance has been looking to use to expand its footprint with Western social media users.
The app itself has actually been available since 2020, and has been somewhat popular in Asian nations. But based on the increased interest in the app last year, and combined with ByteDance’s broader in-stream shopping push, the company had hoped to establish another major app to partner with TikTok.
Though seemingly, that’s not working out. Piggybacking off of TikTok to boost Lemon8 sign-ups is similar to what Instagram has done with Threads, which saw threads break the record for app sign-ups. Like IG, TikTok also has over a billion users, and making it easy for them to create a Lemon8 account, using their TikTok log-in, could be an easy way to boost interest, and get Lemon8 back on track.
Though at the same time, Lemon8 doesn’t really add anything new. Threads also gained momentum because people were seeking an alternative to X, but Lemon8 isn’t really an alternative to anything, just a clone of elements that already exist in other apps.
But even so, streamlined account creation will no doubt increase sign-ups, and that could help to make the platform a more relevant consideration again.
At the least, it will get more people looking at the app, by making it easy for TikTok users to create an account. As such, it’s a good strategy, though I’m not sure Lemon8 will become a major consideration.
Also, if it does become a bigger thing, Meta will just come out with “Lemon9”, so…
